The lymphatic filariasis treatment study landscape: A systematic review of study characteristics and the case for an individual participant data platform.

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"The authors have declared that no competing interests exist."

"We acknowledge funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Grant number: INV-004713). LTF, JBH and MGB also acknowledge funding from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (MR/R015600/1), jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), under the MRC/FCDO Concordat agreement and is also part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript."

"We searched the following databases on 5th May 2023: Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; Ovid Global Health; Scopus; Web of Science Core Collection; World Health Organization Global Index Medicus (AIM (AFRO), IMEMR (EMRO), IMSEAR (SEARO), LILACS (AMRO/OPAS)); Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; and Indmed, African Journals Online, ClinicalTrial.gov, WHO ICTRP and Ctri.nic.in. The search strategy was constructed using a comprehensive set of terms representing lymphatic filariasis, including parasite names, disease terms, and appropriate diagnostics. Keywords included (but were not limited to): bancroftian filariasis, brugian filariasis, elephantiasis, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, Brugia timori, lymphedema, circulating filarial antigen. Search strings were tailored for each database and included controlled terminology (e.g., MeSH terms) where relevant. The full search strategy for all databases is given in . No limits were placed on language. The search was restricted to those published from 2000 to the date of search (5th May 2023). The review is registered in the international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the reference CRD42022319146."