Simulation parameter setup
| Parameter | Assigned values | Rationale | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| OR | 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1, 1.25, 2, 5 | No treatment effect, small to medium, large and extremely large treatment effects | 18 |
| Control group event probability (p) | 0.001, 0.005, 0.01 | 1 in 2000 rare diseases in EU; 1 in 1000 rare adverse events | 6 19 |
| Number of studies in each meta-analysis (m) | 5 | Median=3; IQR: 2–6; <1% >29 | 7 |
| Number of patients in each individual study (n) | 50, 100, 250 | Median=102; IQR 50–243 | 7 |
| Between-study SD | 0.1, 0.5, 1 | Small, moderate, large | 18 |
| Ratio of group size (r) | 1:1 | 78% trials had equal group ratio | 20 |