Network Meta-Analysis (NMA), is an advanced statistical technique that allows the comparison of multiple interventions or treatments, even if they have not been directly compared in head-to-head clinical trials. It is particularly useful when there are many potential treatment options for a condition, and direct comparisons between all of them may not be available.
NMA works by using both direct evidence (head-to-head trials between two treatments) and indirect evidence (comparisons between treatments through common comparators). These multiple treatments and studies are linked together in a network.