Network meta-analysis

Percent body weight change

Type 2 diabetes (adults); background therapy: basal insulin with or without non insulin drugs

weeks 40 to 104 (target week 68)Hypothetical (as if everyone stayed on treatment)Doses of a drug pooledMean difference

Randomized trials

Treatments

546

Participants

Trial arms

In plain language

Across 2 trials with 546 participants, 0 of 2 treatments had a clearly better result than placebo on percent body weight change, and for 2 the evidence could not tell them apart from placebo. The most favorable estimate was for Orforglipron tablet: mean difference -5.40 percentage points (95% credible interval -12.30 to 1.99).

Lower values favor the treatment. "Clearly" means the 95% credible interval excludes no difference. These are averages across trials; they do not say how any one person will respond. Not medical advice.

Network of trials

Each circle is a treatment; each line joins treatments that were randomized against each other in at least one trial.

Node area shows participants; line width shows trials comparing two treatments directly. Blue: GLP-1 receptor agonist containing treatments; grey: comparators. Hover over or tab to a node or line for details.

Effects compared with Placebo

Mean difference in percentage points. Lower values favor the treatment.

Versus Placebo. Blue: Bayesian random effects posterior median with 95% credible interval (thick) and 95% prediction interval (dashed). Amber diamond: frequentist estimate with 95% confidence interval. Hover over or tab to a row for its values.

Effects of each treatment versus Placebo
Treatment	Bayesian MD (95% CrI)	95% prediction interval	Frequentist MD (95% CI)	Verdict
Orforglipron tablet ORFO_PO	-5.40 (-12.30 to 1.99)	-15.50 to 5.52	-5.45 (-6.56 to -4.35)	Unclear
Liraglutide injection LIRA_SC	-5.08 (-12.34 to 2.09)	-15.41 to 5.16	-5.10 (-6.30 to -3.90)	Unclear

Ranking

How likely each treatment is to be among the best. Rankings ignore the size of differences and their certainty, so read them with the effects above.

League table

Every treatment against every other: mean difference of the row treatment versus the column treatment, posterior median and 95% credible interval. Green: row clearly better; red: row clearly worse.

Every treatment in a row compared with every treatment in a column
Row versus column	PLACEBO	ORFO_PO	LIRA_SC
PLACEBO	PLACEBO	5.40 -1.99 to 12.30	5.08 -2.09 to 12.34
ORFO_PO	-5.40 -12.30 to 1.99	ORFO_PO	-0.31 -10.25 to 10.16
LIRA_SC	-5.08 -12.34 to 2.09	0.31 -10.16 to 10.25	LIRA_SC

Heterogeneity, fit and convergence

Bayesian random effects (primary)

Heterogeneity (tau): 2.291 (95% CrI 0.116 to 7.503)
Residual deviance: 3.0 for 3 data points
DIC: 6.0 (pD 3.0)
Largest R-hat: 1.002
Smallest ESS: bulk 2,227, tail 2,573
Divergent transitions: 0
Convergence: All criteria met
Priors: PR01 N(0, 35^2); PR03 N(0, 17.5^2); PR07 half normal(0, 3.5^2) on tau

Frequentist check (netmeta)

Method: inverse variance, REML, MD
Tau: 0.000
Q (total): 0.00 on 0 df
Q (between designs): 0.00

Inconsistency

Do trials comparing two treatments directly agree with the indirect evidence through other treatments?

No comparison here has both direct and indirect evidence, so inconsistency cannot be checked by node splitting; the between designs Q above is the global check.

Small study effects

A comparison adjusted funnel plot: each point is one trial comparison, centered on its own network estimate. Asymmetry can signal that small trials with unfavorable results are missing.

Fewer than ten trial comparisons, too few to judge funnel plot asymmetry.

Baseline characteristics of the trials

The baseline value of each effect modifier or prognostic factor that applies here, per trial: mean or percent over arms, weighted by the number randomized. A note under a value names a stand in (a median for a mean, 100 minus the male share, Asian subgroup rows, an all Asian site list); "not reported" means no source of the trial prints it.

Baseline effect modifiers and prognostic factors per trial
Trial	Baseline BMI or body weight (kg/m2) effect modifier, prognostic factor; 2 of 2	Sex (percent female) effect modifier, prognostic factor; 2 of 2	Asian ancestry or region (percent Asian) effect modifier, prognostic factor; 2 of 2	Kidney function (eGFR) (mL/min/1.73 m2) prognostic factor, effect modifier; 1 of 2	Treatment duration (weeks) effect modifier; 2 of 2	Lifestyle co-intervention intensity (none standard intensive) effect modifier, prognostic factor; 2 of 2
SCALE™ Insulin S000159	35.6	52.27	2	not reported	56	intensive
ACHIEVE-5 S001044	30.8	47.07	25.64	78.8	40	not_reported

Comparability of the trials

Checked across designs (the set of treatments each trial compares) for eligibility, outcome definition and assessment, and the baseline factors above. Flags point to possible intransitivity; notes describe variation that is not tied to design.

FlagBaseline, Baseline BMI or body weight: design means range from 30.8 (ORFO_PO vs PLACEBO) to 35.6 (LIRA_SC vs PLACEBO) kg/m2; threshold 3
FlagBaseline, Kidney function (eGFR): not reported by 1 of 2 trials
FlagBaseline, Lifestyle co-intervention intensity: each design has a different category: LIRA_SC vs PLACEBO = intensive; ORFO_PO vs PLACEBO = not_reported
FlagOutcome assessment, analysis set: confounded with design: full_analysis 1, randomized 1
FlagOutcome assessment, intercurrent events (rescue): confounded with design: hypothetical 1, not stated 1
NoteOutcome assessment, time point: selected time points span 40 to 56 weeks
NoteData handling, input conversions: arms_combined 1

Comparability items per trial
Trial	time weeks	analysis set	definition	instrument	adjudicated	proportion method	intercurrent events (discontinuation)	intercurrent events (rescue)	blinding	funding	start year	Eligibility
SCALE™ Insulin	56	full_analysis	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated	hypothetical	not stated	double_blind	industry	2017	age 18 or older; BMI 27 or higher; HbA1c 6.0 to 10 percent; basal insulin plus up to 2 oral drugs
ACHIEVE-5	40	randomized	not stated	not stated	not stated	not stated	hypothetical	hypothetical	double_blind	industry	2023	adults with T2D on insulin glargine with or without metformin or SGLT2 inhibitor

Trial data

What each trial contributes. Arm rows give the arm value with its standard error, or events over participants; contrast rows give the mean difference on the analysis scale against the trial's first row. Flags mark converted, combined or approximated inputs.

Trial data entering this analysis
Trial	Arm	Treatment	Week	Data	Value	SE	Events / N	Flags	Source
SCALE™ Insulin	A1	LIRA_SC	56	contrast, md	-5.100	0.612			R0024063:Results
SCALE™ Insulin	A2	PLACEBO	56	contrast, md					R0024063:Results
ACHIEVE-5	A1	PLACEBO	40	arm, percent_change	0.600	0.440	141		registry:outcomes
ACHIEVE-5	A2+A3+A4	ORFO_PO	40	arm, percent_change	-4.852	0.352	405	arms_combined	registry:outcomes

Rerun this analysis yourself

Remove treatments or trials and refit the frequentist and Bayesian models in your browser, with the same methods as the published analysis.

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