Medical Dictionary For Regulatory Activities Research Articles

Fetal and Neonatal Adverse Drug Reactions Associated with Biologics Taken During Pregnancy by Women with Autoimmune Diseases: Insights from an Analysis of the World Health Organization Pharmacovigilance Database (VigiBase®).

Published data on the safety of biologics other than tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors during pregnancy are limited. The aim was to detect pharmacovigilance signals for fetal and neonatal adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to biologics taken by pregnant women with autoimmune diseases. We performed a disproportionality analysis of the World Health Organization's VigiBase® pharmacovigilance database from 1968 to June 1, 2021. Data were collected in June 2021. By using terms for different hierarchical levels of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities, we selected the following fetal or neonatal ADRs: stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight, small for gestational age, and congenital malformations. The frequency of all identified ADRs for biologics of interest (adalimumab, infliximab, golimumab, certolizumab, etanercept, anakinra, canakinumab, tocilizumab, sarilumab, ustekinumab, guselkumab, secukinumab, ixekizumab, belimumab, abatacept, and rituximab) was compared with that of all other reports for all other drugs and quoted as the reporting odds ratio (ROR) [95% confidence interval]. Reports with known concomitant use of teratogenic drugs were excluded from the main analysis. Other analyses included ROR stratifications by therapeutic indication in the periods 1968-2021 and 2001-2021, and an analysis after excluding reports with steroids. In the main analysis, the RORs were particularly high for musculoskeletal malformations with anakinra (7.18 [3.50-14.73]), canakinumab (19.54 [12.82-29.79]), and abatacept (5.09 [2.77-9.33]), and for immune system disorders with canakinumab (347.88 [217.9-555.50]) and rituximab (9.27 [2.95-29.15]). After the exclusion of reports with steroids, the ROR was significant for neonatal infections with belimumab (28.49 [5.75-141.25]). We identified possible associations with some adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes, suggesting that vigilance is required when prescribing certain biologics during pregnancy.

A real-world pharmacovigilance study of FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) events for osimertinib

Osimertinib was a third-generation, irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), which approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our study was to explore the adverse events (AEs) caused by osimertinib through data mining of the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), and provide reference for clinical safety. Data of osimertinib were collected from the FAERS database covering the period from first quarter of 2016 to the fourth quarter of 2021. Disproportionality analyses was employed to quantify the associated AE signals of osimertinib and detect the risk signals from the data in the FAERS database. Reporting odds ratio (ROR) was used to detect the risk signals from the data in the FAERS database. The definition relied on system organ class (SOCs) and preferred terms (PTs) by the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA). Totally, 9,704,33 reports were collected from the FAERS database, 10,804 reports of osimertinib were identified as the ‘primary suspected (PS)’ AEs. Osimertinib induced AEs occurred in 27 organ systems. 68 significant disproportionality PTs satisfying with the four algorithms were retained at the same time. Unexpected significant AEs such as scrotal volvulus, hepatic function abnormal, venous thromboembolisms might also occur. The median onset time of osimertinib-associated AEs was 58 days (interquartile range [IQR] 14–212 days), and the majority of the AEs occurred within the first 30 days after osimertinib initiation. Our study found significant new AEs signals of osimertinib and might provide support for clinical monitoring and risk identification of osimertinib.

Potential cerebrovascular accident signal for risankizumab: A disproportionality analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

The interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor risankizumab was recently approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in the United States. Low rates of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) were observed in risankizumab-treated patients during clinical trials. The aim of this study was to determine whether risankizumab may be associated with CVA in a real-world setting. A retrospective disproportionality analysis was conducted utilizing postmarketing adverse event reports submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) through the fourth quarter of 2021. A custom query consisting of 22 CVA-related Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) preferred terms previously reported in clinical trials of plaque psoriasis medications was used to identify cases. Disproportionality was measured by calculating reporting odds ratios (ROR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), whereby the lower limit of a 95% CI >1.0 and ≥ three cases was considered a signal. Risankizumab was associated with significantly disproportionate CVA reporting compared to all other drugs in FAERS (ROR 2.48; 95% CI 2.14-2.88) as well as 11 alternative plaque psoriasis therapeutics across five pharmacologic classes. The largest disproportionality signals for risankizumab were identified relative to apremilast (ROR 9.07; 95% CI 7.56-10.89), ixekizumab (ROR 6.75; 95% CI 5.14-8.86), guselkumab (ROR 6.74; 95% CI 4.68-9.71), certolizumab (ROR 5.70; 95% CI 4.74-6.85) and etanercept (ROR 4.91; 95% CI 4.21-5.73). This study detected a previously unreported signal of disproportionate CVA reporting with the real-world use of risankizumab. Further long-term observational data will be necessary to better characterize this unconfirmed potential safety signal.

Isatuximab Plus Pomalidomide and Dexamethasone in Patients with Relapsed and/or Refractory Multiple Myeloma in Real-Life Context in France: IMAGE Subgroup Analysis Based on Prior Lines of Therapy and Refractory Status

Introduction: Isatuximab (Isa) plus pomalidomide (P) and dexamethasone (d; Isa-Pd) is approved in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who have received ≥2 prior therapies, based on the Phase 3 ICARIA-MM study (NCT02990338). Prior to Isa-Pd regulatory approval, Isa was available in France under early access programs (EAPs). In the non-interventional, retrospective IMAGE study, we analyzed the progression-free survival (PFS) and safety among French pts with RRMM treated with Isa-Pd under the EAPs. Here, we report results from the interim subgroup analysis of the IMAGE study based on prior lines of therapy (LOT) and refractory status. Methods: The IMAGE study was conducted based on medical records of adult patients with RRMM who received ≥1 dose of Isa under the EAPs. The analysis of effectiveness endpoints was restricted to patients with ≥1 year of follow-up after Isa initiation. PFS was defined as the time from start of Isa-Pd to date of disease progression or death. Refractoriness was defined per IMWG criteria. Adverse events (AEs) were not graded for severity. Verbatim terms for AEs were coded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. Results: Across 62 study sites in France, 299 patients who had received ≥1 Isa dose under the EAPs from 29 Jul 2019 -1 Sep 2020 were included in the safety population; the effectiveness population included 294 pts who met all inclusion/exclusion criteria. In contrast to ICARIA-MM, the IMAGE study included daratumumab-refractory patients and patients who had received only 1 prior LOT. In the effectiveness population, 10.2%, 49.0%, 40.8% received 1, 2, and ≥3 prior LOT, respectively; 96.3% had lenalidomide; 26.5% had daratumumab; 73.1% were lenalidomide-refractory; and 19.1% were daratumumab-refractory. At a median follow-up of 14.2 months (mo), median PFS (mPFS) of the overall effectiveness population was 12.4 (95% CI 9.0-15.0) mo (Table) with a median 2 prior LOT; this is similar to that reported for daratumumab plus Pd (12.4 mo) in the APOLLO study and for Isa-Pd (11.1 mo) in the ICARIA-MM study, where patients received a median of 2 and 3 prior LOT, respectively. Median PFS was not reached (NR; 95% CI 9.6-NR), 13.6 (95% CI 10.2-NR), and 7.6 (95% CI 4.4-11.8) mo among patients with 1, 2, and ≥3 prior LOT, respectively; 9.0 (95% CI 6.4-12.4) mo in lenalidomide-refractory subgroup; and 10.6 (95% CI 6.8-15.0) mo in lenalidomide-refractory at last prior LOT (Table). Within the lenalidomide-refractory subgroup, mPFS (95% CI) was NR (6.8-NR), 10.6 (6.8-NR), and 5.0 (3.2-7.8) mo with 1, 2, and ≥3 prior LOT, respectively. Among daratumumab-naïve patients, median PFS (95% CI) was 16.6 (13.2-NR) mo. Patients exposed to daratumumab had a median washout period of 6.5 mo between last daratumumab injection and Isa initiation. Patients exposed and refractory to daratumumab had a mPFS of 3.0 (2.4-4.8) mo with a median washout period of 4.0 mo, while patients who were exposed to daratumumab but were not refractory had a mPFS of 8.4 (95% CI 2.8-NR) mo and a median washout period of 9.5 mo. At least 1 AE was reported in 8 (26.7%), 38 (26.4%), and 33 (26.4%) patients in 1, 2, and ≥3 prior LOT subgroups; 60 (27.5%) in lenalidomide-refractory subgroup; and 43 (30.7%) in lenalidomide-refractory at last prior LOT subgroup. AEs led to permanent Isa discontinuation in 3 (2.1%) patients with 2 prior LOT, 1 (0.8%) patient with ≥3 prior LOT, 4 (1.8%) patients in lenalidomide-refractory subgroup, and 3 (2.1%) patients in lenalidomide-refractory at last prior LOT subgroup. Conclusions: In this subgroup analysis of the IMAGE study based on prior LOT and refractory status, Isa-Pd demonstrated meaningful mPFS with a manageable safety profile at first and second relapse and in the difficult-to-treat lenalidomide-refractory subgroups. Importantly, a high mPFS of 16.6 mo was reported for daratumumab-naïve patients. In the APOLLO and ICARIA-MM trials investigating daratumumab plus Pd and Isa-Pd in a daratumumab-naïve population, mPFS was 12.4 and 11.1 mo respectively. The IMAGE study shows daratumumab-refractory patients do not respond well to Isa-Pd. However, as PFS outcomes were favorable in patients who were exposed to but not daratumumab-refractory, anti-CD38 antibody sequencing in successive therapies may be a good alternative in real-world practice when patients may be exposed to daratumumab but not refractory. Funding: Sanofi. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Exploring opportunities for AI supported medication error categorization: A brief report in human machine collaboration

Understanding and mitigating medication errors is critical for ensuring patient safety and improving patient care. Correctly identifying medication errors in the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) reports can be difficult because of the complexities of medication error concepts. We took a user-centered design approach to support the medication error categorization workflow process with artificial intelligence (AI). We developed machine learning models to categorize medication error terms. The average F1-score, precision, recall, and area under the precision recall curve for 18 Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) Lower Level Term (LLT) relating to medication errors were 0.88, 0.92. 0.85, and 0.83 respectively. We developed a framework to help evaluate opportunities for artificial intelligence integration in the medication error categorization workflow. The framework has four attributes: technical deployment, process rigidity, AI assistance, and frequency. We used the framework to compare two AI integration opportunities and concluded that the quality assurance (QA) opportunity to be a more feasible initial option for AI integration. We then extended these insights into the development and user testing of a prototype application. The user testing identified the highlighting and commenting capabilities of the application to be more useful and sliders and similar report suggestions to be less useful. This suggested that different AI interactions with human highlighting should be explored. While the medication error quality assurance prototype application was developed for supporting the review of direct FAERS reports, this approach can be extended to assist in the workflow for all FAERS reports.

Trends in Adverse Drug Reactions Among Children: Evidence from Jiangsu Province of China, 2010-2019.

Medication safety among children represents an underrecognized public health concern worldwide, yet little evidence was found in China. This study aimed to examine trends in rates of pediatric adverse drug reaction (ADR) reports in Jiangsu Province of China with a catchment population of more than 11 million children. Data for children aged under 15 years were extracted from the spontaneous reporting system of ADR surveillance in Jiangsu Province. Suspected therapeutic agents for ADRs were coded using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system. We used the Chinese modification of the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, to group primary diseases, and the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities to classify the manifestation of ADRs. We used Joinpoint to estimate age-adjusted ADR rates stratified by sex from July 2010 to June 2019, and further by specific features, including patient characteristics, main suspected therapeutic medications, primary diseases, and ADRs. We used the percentage change annualized estimator to evaluate trends over time. A total of 79,903 ADR reports were identified among children aged under 15 years, which accounted for 11.4% of all ADRs reported in Jiangsu Province during the same period. The age-adjusted ADR report rates increased significantly from 66.20 to 96.76 per 100,000 children during the period July 2010-June 2019, with an annual increase of 4.9% (95% confidence interval 1.3-8.5%; p value 0.014). Of all ADR reports, there were 47,774 (59.8%) boys and 32,129 (40.2%) girls. Children aged 0-4 years accounted for more than half of the ADR reports (n=47,680, 59.7%). Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders were the most frequently reported ADRs (45,773, 57.3%). Respiratory diseases were the most commonly observed medical conditions in relation to pediatric ADRs, accounting for 68.8% (n=54,940) of all ADR reports, and anti-infectives for systemic use consistently represented over time the most common medication group, contributing to 69.8% of all reports. A reduction in ADR report rates was observed for vaccines, with an annual decrease of 19% in children. ADRs remain a public health challenge among the vulnerable pediatric populations. Findings from the present study call for continuing efforts in ADR prevention and medication safety improvement in children.

PSAT122 The Changing Face of Drug-Induced Adrenal Insufficiency in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System

Abstract Importance: Adrenal insufficiency is a life-threatening condition complicating heterogenous disorders across various disciplines, with challenging diagnosis and a notable drug-induced component. Objective To describe the spectrum and main features of drug-induced adrenal insufficiency through adverse drug event reports received by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Design: We conducted a retrospective disproportionality analysis within one of the largest publicly accessible spontaneous reporting system. Setting The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collecting more than 15 million reports. Participants: Adverse event reports extracted from FAERS over the past 2 decades (2000-2020), with a focus on the 2015-2020 period. Main Outcomes and Measures: Descriptive statistics were used to assess the reporting trend of drug-induced adrenal insufficiency. Cases were selected if they contained any of the preferred terms in the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities describing adrenal hypofunctions. We computed the reporting odds ratio (ROR) with relevant 95% confidence interval (CI) using Bonferroni correction to identify signals of disproportionate reporting for drugs recorded in at least 10 cases as primary suspect. Results We identified 8,496 cases (5,282 in the 2015-2020 period), 97.5% being serious and 41.1% requiring hospitalization. We identified 56 drugs (out of 164) associated with significant disproportionality within various pharmacological classes: glucocorticoids (N=1971, constant over time), monoclonal antibodies (1,330 out of 1,644 cases with immune checkpoint inhibitors, reaching 76% in 2020), hormone therapy (N=291), anti-infectives (N=252), drugs used for hypercortisolism or adrenocortical cancer diagnosis and/or treatment (N=169), protein kinase inhibitors (N=138). Conclusions and Relevance This comprehensive insight into the evolution of drug-induced adrenal insufficiency highlighted the heterogeneous spectrum of culprit drugs classes, including the consolidated role of topical and systemic corticosteroids and the emerging increased reporting of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Targeted screening and educational programs are needed to urgently identify predictive factors. Presentation: Saturday, June 11, 2022 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Drug-induced torsades de pointes: Disproportionality analysis of the United States Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system.

This study aimed to identify the most common and top drugs associated with the risk of torsades de pointes (TdP) based on the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. We used OpenVigil 2.1 to query FAERS database and data from the first quarter of 2004 to the third quarter of 2021 were retrieved. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) was used to identify TdP cases. We listed the most common drugs associated with the reported TdP cases. Then, the reporting odds ratio (ROR) and the proportional reporting ratio (PRR) for the reporting association between different drugs and TdP risk were calculated. Meanwhile, comparisons were conducted with the QT drug lists of CredibleMeds® in an attempt to identify drugs with a potential risk of TdP that were not on the list. A total of 9,217,181 adverse event reports were identified, of which 3,807 (0.04%) were related to TdP. TdP was more likely to occur in the elderly and females. Amiodarone (464 cases) was associated with most cases of TdP. According to the disproportionality analysis, the top five drugs with the highest ROR and PRR were tolazoline (ROR 1615.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 455.59-5725.75, PRR 969.46, χ2 2960.10), levomethadyl (ROR 1211.01, 95% CI 302.75-4844.04, PRR 807.67, χ2 1677.03), ibutilide (ROR 1118.74, 95% CI 425.00-2944.91, PRR 765.77, χ2 3845.27), halofantrine (ROR 660.55, 95% CI 184.21-2368.69, PRR 519.22, χ2 1076.31), and isoproterenol (ROR 352.20, 95% CI 227.19-546.00, PRR 307.82, χ2 6692.53). Approximately half of the top 50 drugs (22 for ROR, 30 for PRR) were not outlined on the QT drug lists of CredibleMeds®. Approximately half of the top risk drugs (22 for ROR, 30 for PRR) were not outlined in the QT drug lists of CredibleMeds®. Notably, potential risks are of great importance and should be closely monitored in clinical practice. Also, further research is needed to investigate the association between these drugs and TdP.

Cardiovascular toxicity associated with angiogenesis inhibitors: A comprehensive pharmacovigilance analysis based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database from 2014 to 2021

BackgroundThe profiles of cardiovascular toxicity associated with angiogenesis inhibitors, including intravenous monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and oral tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) remain poorly elucidated in real-world settings. This pharmacovigilance analysis aimed to comprehensively investigate the frequency, spectrum, timing, and outcomes of cardiovascular toxicities associated with angiogenesis inhibitors and to explore the differences in such patterns between mAbs and TKIs.MethodsDisproportionality analysis was performed by leveraging reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database from 2014 to 2021. Cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) were grouped into nine narrow categories using the Standardized Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) Queries (SMQs). Reporting odds ratio (ROR) and information components (ICs) were calculated with statistical shrinkage transformation formulas and a lower limit of 95% confidence interval (CI) for ROR (ROR025) > 1 or IC (IC025) > 0, with at least three reports being considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 757,577 reports of angiogenesis inhibitors and 70,668 (9.3%) reports of cardiovascular AEs were extracted. Significant disproportionality was detected in angiogenesis inhibitors for cardiovascular AEs (IC025/ROR025 = 0.35/1.27). Bevacizumab (31.8%), a mAb, presented the largest number of reports, followed by sunitinib (12.4%), a TKI. Hypertension (SMQ) was detected with the strongest signal value (IC025/ROR025 = 1.73/3.33), followed by embolic and thrombotic events (SMQ) (IC025/ROR025 = 0.32/1.26). Hypertension showed the shortest time to onset with a median (interquartile range) value of 23 (8, 69) days, while embolic and thrombotic events had the longest value of 51 (16, 153) days. Notably, hypertension presented the lowest proportions of death and life-threatening events (10.9%), whereas embolic and thrombotic events posed the highest (29.3%). Furthermore, both mAbs (IC025/ROR025 = 0.47/1.39) and TKIs (IC025/ROR025 = 0.30/1.23) showed increased cardiovascular AEs. Hypertension was detected in both agents (IC025/ROR025 = 1.53/2.90 for mAbs and IC025/ROR025 = 1.83/3.56 for TKIs) with a shorter time to onset of 17 (6, 48) days for TKIs than mAbs of 42 (14, 131) days. By contrast, embolic and thrombotic events were detected for mAbs (IC025/ROR025 = 0.90/1.87) without TKI (IC025/ROR025 = −0.08/0.95).ConclusionAngiogenesis inhibitors were associated with increased cardiovascular toxicity with a discrepancy between intravenous mAbs and oral TKIs, deserving distinct monitoring and appropriate management.

Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: A Real-World Study Based on the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are used as adjunctive therapy to lifestyle intervention and metformin treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, as most GLP-1RAs have cardiovascular benefits; however, a number of adverse events (AEs) have been reported in postmarketing surveillance. The aim of this study was to describe the AEs associated with GLP-1RA monotherapy and identify important medical event (IME) signals for GLP-1RAs. Data from 1 April 2005 to 31 December 2021 from the US FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database were extracted to conduct disproportionality analysis and Bayesian analysis. AEs and IMEs were classified by system organ classes (SOCs) and preferred terms (PTs) according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA®). The reporting odds ratio (ROR) and information component (IC) were used to indicate the disproportionality. A total of 71,515 records involving GLP-1RA monotherapy were submitted to the database, of which 16,350 records were GLP-1RA/IME pairs. Significant disproportionality emerged in five SOCs: 'gastrointestinal disorders' (n=13,104; lower end of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the IC [IC025]=1.34), 'investigations' (n=6889; IC025=0.64), 'metabolism and nutrition disorders' (n=2943; IC025=0.44), 'neoplasms benign/malignant' (n=1989; IC025=0.01), and 'hepatobiliary disorders' (n=1497; IC025=0.38). The most common AEs were pancreatitis, nausea, and weight decrease. Unexpected significant AEs were detected, such as ileus, osteomyelitis, renal cell carcinoma, nephrolithiasis, and drug-induced liver injury. The majority of AEs have been listed in the prescribing information or reported in previous studies, however we found significant disproportionality in some specific tumor- and liver-related AEs. Clinicians should pay more attention to the newly detected disproportionality that may be triggered by GLP-1RAs, especially in the vulnerable population after long-term use. Considering the limitations of the FAERS database, there is a need for additional pharmacoepidemiological approaches to validate the results of this study.

Data mining for adverse drug reaction signals of daptomycin based on real-world data: a disproportionality analysis of the US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system.

Previous reports on daptomycin's adverse drug reactions (ADRs) have been insufficient, often because of limited data. Pharmacovigilance risk signal detection is innovative and has been applied to the safety monitoring and reevaluation of drugs post-marketing. The study aimed to promote safe daptomycin prescribing by mining and evaluating the daptomycin ADR signals from the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). A disproportionality analysis (reporting odds ratio ROR and proportional reporting ratio PRR) was utilized for FAERS data mining from the first quarter of 2004 to the second quarter of 2021 (the most recent quarterly data at the time of the study). Preferred Terms of ADR reports were categorized by System Organ Class (SOC) based on the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. This study retrieved 12,221 cases within the reporting period. A total of 140 repetitive signals were obtained by ROR and PRR, of which 53 new ADR signals were not recorded in the drug labels/datasheets. The top three ADR reports were"blood creatine phosphokinase elevation"(ROR, 56.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 51.07-62.87, PRR 51.94), "eosinophilic pneumonia" (ROR 696.71, 95%CI 603.21-804.70, PRR 657.57), and "rhabdomyolysis" (ROR 22.85, 95%CI 19.94-26.18, PRR 21.83). The highest ROR of "antimicrobial susceptibility test resistant" was found at 9808.14. Reports of rare adverse events, such as "necrotizing fasciitis and compartment syndrome," have emerged. The significant SOCs were "Infections and Infestations" and "Investigations." New daptomycin ADR signals were detected. Clinicians should monitor these potential ADRs in patients receiving daptomycin.

Identifying the association rules between adverse events and concomitant medicines in clinical trial data management using random forest

Adverse events (AEs) and concomitant medications (CMs) underreporting remains a recurrent issue in clinical trials. This study aimed to build a mapping relationship between the AE and CM using a random forest (RF) model that can be embedded in the current Electronic Data Capture (EDC) system, to enable a reliable detection of underreporting AE or CM. Current data including 524 AEs and 684 CMs for 13,905 individuals, were taken from three cancer clinical trials and six other studies that are non-public. An additional validation dataset was consisted of 448 independent patients with 269 unique AEs and 407 CMs from a cancer clinical trial on Paclitaxel. We found that the machine learning method exhibited in a learning task between AE and CM well for a common AE like hypertension that was caused by a single cause, but it was ineffective when the AE, such as the increased blood alkaline phosphatase, was caused by complex reasons or just an associated symptom of some diseases. This study suggests the potential of automatically detecting the underreported AE and CM in detail, and it will improve further safety and validity inspections from clinical trials. ABBREVIATIONS: AE, adverse event; ATC, anatomical therapeutic chemical; CM, concomitant medication; EDC, electronic data capture; FDA, Food and Drug Administration; GCP, good clinical practice; MedDRA, medical dictionary for regulatory activities; NMPA, National Medical Products Administration; PT, preferred term; RCT, randomized controlled trial; RF, random forests; SDV, source data verification; VIM, variable importance measure

Analysis of adverse drug events in patients with bipolar disorders using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database.

The aim of the present study was to survey adverse drug events (ADEs) in patients with bipolar disorders and identify risk factors using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database, a spontaneous reporting system. Data on patients with bipolar disorders were extracted from the JADER database. The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) preferred terms (PT) and standardized MedDRA queries (SMQ) were used to define ADEs. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for ADEs. A total of 8653 reports of 1108 types of ADEs (PT) were registered in data collected on 3521 patients with bipolar disorders. Rash (PT) was the most frequently reported in 549 patients, followed by drug eruption (PT) in 387, fever (PT) in 364, toxicity to various agents (PT) in 291, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (PT) in 261. Among 24 ADEs (PT) that were reported in more than 50 patients, lamotrigine was associated with increased risks of 13 ADEs (PT), followed by carbamazepine with increased risks of 8 ADEs (PT). The majority of these ADEs belonged to hypersensitivity (SMQ) or hepatic disorder (SMQ). Lithium carbonate was associated with increased risks of rash (PT), drug interaction (PT), and tubulointerstitial diseases (SMQ). All antipsychotics increased the adjusted odds ratio for neuroleptic malignant syndrome (PT). The risk of hyperglycemia/new onset diabetes mellitus (SMQ) was increased by olanzapine, quetiapine fumarate, and risperidone. We are presenting the profiles of ADEs in patients with bipolar disorders using the JADER database, and propose risk factors for 19 ADEs (PT) and 4 ADEs (SMQ).

AcT Trial: Protocol for a Pragmatic Registry‐Linked Randomized Clinical Trial

Background Intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase is widely used in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting early after symptom onset. Recent phase II trials have suggested that intravenous tenecteplase may be safer and associated with higher early reperfusion rates as compared with alteplase. This study investigates whether intravenous tenecteplase is noninferior to intravenous alteplase for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Methods This is a pragmatic, registry‐linked, prospective, randomized (1:1) controlled, open‐label parallel group clinical trial (AcT [Alteplase Compared to Tenecteplase in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke]) with blinded end point assessment of 1600 patients to test if intravenous tenecteplase (0.25 mg/kg body weight, maximum dose 25 mg) is noninferior to intravenous alteplase (0.9 mg/kg body weight; maximum dose, 90 mg) in patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for intravenous thrombolysis in clinical routine. Patients are recruited from comprehensive and primary stroke centers and enrolled using deferral of consent. The proposed sample has at least 90% power with a noninferiority margin of 5%, assuming incidence of the 90‐day modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1 is 38% in the tenecteplase and 35% in the alteplase groups, and a loss to follow‐up rate <5%. Results The blinded primary end point is the proportion of subjects achieving a 90‐day modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 1. Key safety outcomes include 24‐hour symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage and 90‐day all‐cause mortality. All serious adverse events within a 24‐hour period will be reported and coded using the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. Outcomes are collected either centrally (primary, key secondary, and safety end points) or through ongoing Canadian stroke registries. The primary analysis is a simple unadjusted comparison of proportions. Conclusions Results from the trial will provide real‐world evidence of the effectiveness of intravenous tenecteplase versus alteplase in patients with acute ischemic stroke presenting early after stroke onset.

MedDRA Labeling Groupings to Improve Safety Communication in Product Labels

The granularity and structure of the International Council for Harmonisation’s (ICH) Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) are useful for precise coding of adverse events (AEs) for data analysis. In product labeling for healthcare practitioners, however, the granularity of MedDRA Preferred Terms (PTs) can obscure the communication of adverse reactions (ARs). Driven by a focus on patient safety, business needs, and regulatory guidance, many sponsors and regulators have begun to develop institution-specific approaches to clustering similar AR terms in medical product prescribing information on a product-by-product basis. However, there are no agreed upon conventions that describe which AR terms may be appropriate to group together. In order to improve safety communication to patients and healthcare providers, there is an urgent need for a harmonized international approach to the creation and use of groups of MedDRA PTs which we refer to as “MedDRA Labeling Groupings (MLGs)” in medical product prescribing information. Given its long-standing contributions towards the design of Standardised MedDRA Queries (SMQs), the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) convened an Expert Working Group (EWG) with involvement of multiple major stakeholders to produce a consensus document on principles and points to consider in the development of MLGs. The CIOMS MLG EWG identified variations in grouping of MedDRA PTs in product labels, and in the current document, proposes a strategy for improving the communication of drug safety labeling. It is envisaged that the use of these consensus recommendations would be voluntary and applied to product labels in a manner that is consistent with existing regulatory frameworks.

A Description of Acute Renal Failure and Nephrolithiasis Associated With Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter 2 Inhibitor Use: A VigiBase Study.

Background: The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on the risk of acute kidney injury and a signal of nephrolithiasis for patients using sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i). We performed a descriptive analysis on acute renal failure (ARF) and nephrolithiasis cases reported to SGLT2i in the VigiBase®, in the scope of characterizing the patients and reactions and to report on the disproportionality analysis. Methods: We analyzed all ARF and nephrolithiasis reports for SGLT2i in VigiBase from inception to September 2021. ARF cases were defined as reports containing at least one of the preferred terms (PTs) included in the ARF narrow Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Standardised Queries (MedDRA SMQ). SGLT2i exposure was considered for reports with at least one gliflozin as a suspected/interacting drug. We characterized the patients, reporters, and reactions, and we present the proportional reporting ratio (PRR). Results: Of 27,370,413 total reports in VigiBase, we found 3,972 ARF reactions to gliflozins as suspected/interacting drugs in 3,751 patients and 231 nephrolithiasis reactions in 227 patients. Most cases were reported from American regions (3057; 81.49%), for patients of age group 45–64 years (1590; 59%). About 30% (1156) of the ARF reports were registered in 2018, most from spontaneous reporting, and from consumers followed by healthcare professionals (2,235; 61% and 1440; 38%, respectively). Canagliflozin was the most involved gliflozin in the ARF and nephrolithiasis cases (2,640; 67% and 109; 47%, respectively). The great majority of ARF and nephrolithiasis reports were serious (3,761; 95% and 182; 79%, respectively). Of the total ARF cases reported, 51 had fatal outcome, while 152 had not recovered/not resolved outcome. No fatal outcome was reported for nephrolithiasis. Disproportionality analysis in full database showed a PRR of 4.68 (95% CI 4.53–4.83) for all gliflozins–ARF and a PRR of 3.44 (95% CI 3.00–3.95) for all gliflozins–nephrolithiasis. Conclusion: Most of ARF reports associated with gliflozins were serious, with an important number of cases with fatal outcome. A drug safety signal was found between ARF narrow SMQ and gliflozins. Also, gliflozins were associated with an increase in the proportion of nephrolithiasis reports compared to other medications.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Caused by Denosumab in Treatment-Naïve and Pre-Treatment with Zoledronic Acid Groups: A Time-to-Onset Study Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) Database.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is a serious adverse event associated with bone-modifying agents, such as injectable bisphosphonate (zoledronic acid) and the anti-receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand antibody (denosumab). This study aims to evaluate and compare the time-to-onset profile for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with denosumab between treatment-naïve (naïve group) and pre-treatment with zoledronic acid (post-zoledronic acid group) patients using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database. Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw was defined according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. The medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw onset profiles were evaluated using the Weibull shape parameter and the log-rank test. The Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database contains 632,409 reports published between April 2004 and March 2020. In the time-to-onset analysis, after extracting the combinations with complete information for the treatment start date and the medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw onset date, 272 reports of the naïve group and 86 reports of the post-zoledronic acid group were analyzed. The median onset in the naïve and post-zoledronic acid groups was 487.0 (25-75%: 274.0-690.8) and 305.5 (25-75%: 158.3-508.5) days, respectively. Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw occurred earlier in the post-zoledronic acid group than in the naïve group, and the log-rank test demonstrated a significant difference in their time transitions (p < 0.0001). The results indicated a risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw in naïve and post-zoledronic acid groups and a shorter onset time in the latter than in the former. Thus, healthcare professionals should take the early risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw into account when switching patients from zoledronic acid to denosumab treatment.

Adverse Events of Axitinib plus Pembrolizumab Versus Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab: A Pharmacovigilance Study in Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System

No head-to-head postmarket surveillance study has compared the differences in adverse events (AEs) between two combination therapies, axitinib (AXI) + pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) and lenvatinib (LEN) + PEMBRO, against metastatic renal cell carcinoma. This study aims to highlight the comprehensive differences in AEs between these two therapies based on the real-world big data from the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. In total, 28 937 records were extracted from the FAERS database, and 139 AEs grouped into the System Organ Class according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities were analysed. Logistic regression analyses were performed, and the reporting odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was determined. We found that the incidences of cardiac and hepatobiliary disorders for AXI + PEMBRO, and blood and lymphatic system, metabolism and nutrition, and vascular disorders for LEN + PEMBRO, all of which were associated with serious AEs, were higher than those for LEN + PEMBRO and AXI + PEMBRO, respectively. The differences in the AEs between AXI + PEMBRO and LEN + PEMBRO were not derived merely from those between AXI and LEN monotherapies. Furthermore, remarkable AE potentiation was observed for AXI + PEMBRO. As FAERS is a spontaneous reporting system comprising partially limited information, analysing more detailed relationships between AEs and patient or treatment characteristics was challenging in this study. The present study is the first to show the overall real-world postmarketing differences in AEs between AXI + PEMBRO and LEN + PEMBRO. Our novel findings will substantially improve clinical practice; we recommend comparing patients’ conditions associated with the above AEs when selecting between these two therapies. Patient summaryHerein, we highlight the differences in adverse events (AEs) between axitinib + pembrolizumab and lenvatinib + pembrolizumab therapies using data from the real-world Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System database aimed at patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We identified AEs that needed attention in each combination. We recommend the differences in AEs to be considered when selecting these two therapies.

Drug Survival, Safety, and Effectiveness of Biologics in Older Patients with Psoriasis: A Comparison with Younger Patients-A BioCAPTURE Registry Study.

BackgroundPsoriasis is a common inflammatory disease in any age group, but also in older patients (≥ 65 years of age). Since older patients are often excluded from clinical trials, limited data specifically on this growing population are available, e.g. regarding the safety and performance of biological treatment.AimsWe aimed to give insight into this specific population by comparing the drug survival and safety of biologics in older patients with that in younger patients.MethodsIn this real-world observational study, data from 3 academic and 15 non-academic centers in The Netherlands were extracted from the prospective BioCAPTURE registry. Biologics included in this study were tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-17, IL-12/23, and IL-23 inhibitors. Patients were divided into two age groups: ≥ 65 years and < 65 years. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to measure comorbid disease status, and all adverse events (AEs) that led to treatment discontinuation were classified according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) classification. All AEs that led to treatment discontinuation were studied to check whether they could be classified as serious AEs (SAEs). Kaplan–Meier survival curves for overall 5-year drug survival and split according to reasons of discontinuation (ineffectiveness or AEs) were constructed. Cox regression models were used to correct for possible confounders and to investigate associations with drug survival in both age groups separately. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores during the first 2 years of treatment and at the time of treatment discontinuation were assessed and compared between age groups.ResultsA total of 890 patients were included, of whom 102 (11.4%) were aged ≥ 65 years. Body mass index, sex, and distribution of biologic classes (e.g. TNFα, IL12/23) were not significantly different between the two age groups. A significantly higher CCI score was found in older patients, indicative of more comorbidity (p < 0.001). The 5-year ineffectiveness-related drug survival was lower for older patients (44.5% vs. 60.5%; p = 0.006), and the 5-year overall (≥ 65 years: 32.4% vs. < 65 years: 42.1%; p = 0.144) and AE-related (≥ 65 years: 82.1% vs. < 65 years: 79.5%; p = 0.913) drug survival was comparable between age groups. Of all AEs (n = 155) that led to discontinuation, 16 (10.3%) were reported as SAEs but these only occurred in younger patients. After correcting for confounders, the same trends were observed in the drug survival outcomes. Linear regression analyses on PASI scores showed no statistical differences at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months of treatment between age groups.ConclusionsThis study in a substantial, well-defined, prospective cohort provides further support that the use of biologics in older patients seems well-tolerated and effective. Biologic discontinuation due to AEs did not occur more frequently in older patients. Older patients discontinued biologic treatment more often due to ineffectiveness, although no clear difference in PASI scores was observed. More real-world studies on physician- and patient-related factors in older patients are warranted.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40266-022-00961-y.

Harmonisation of large-scale, heterogeneous individual participant adverse event data from randomised trials of statin therapy.

Meta-analyses of individual-level data from randomised trials are often required to detect clinically worthwhile effects. The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration, which includes data from numerous large long-term statin trials, is conducting a review of the effects of statin therapy on all adverse events collected in those trials. This article describes the approaches used and challenges faced to systematically capture and categorise the data. Protocols, statistical analysis plans, case report forms, clinical study reports and datasets were obtained, reviewed and checked. Relevant baseline and follow-up data from each trial was then reorganised into standardised formats based upon the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium Study Data Tabulation Model. Adverse event data were organised and coded (automatically or, where necessary, manually) according to a common medical dictionary based upon the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. Data from 23 double-blind statin trials and 5 open-label statin trials were provided, either through direct data transfer or through online access platforms. Together, these trials provided 845 datasets containing over 38 million records relating to 30,495 study variables and 181,973 randomised participants. Of the 46 Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium Study Data Tabulation Model domains that could potentially have been used to organise the data, the 13 most relevant to the project were identified and utilised, including 6 domains related to post-randomisation adverse events. Nearly 1.2 million adverse events were extracted and mapped to over 45,000 unique adverse event terms. Of these adverse events, 99% were coded to a Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities 'lower level term', with the remainder coded to a 'higher level term' or, very rarely, only a 'higher level group term'. In this meta-analysis of adverse event data from the large randomised trials of statins, approaches based on common standards for data organisation and classification have provided a resource capable of allowing reliable and rapid evaluation of any previously unknown benefits or hazards of statin therapy.