Evaluation and study of adverse reactions to imiglucerase based on the FAERS database

TL;DR

This study analyzed adverse reactions to imiglucerase, a treatment for Gaucher disease, using FDA safety data to identify patterns and potential risks.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel analysis of imiglucerase-related adverse reactions using multiple statistical methods to detect significant safety signals.

Findings

General disorders and injury-related conditions were the most frequently reported adverse reactions.

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders showed significant signals, possibly due to confounding by indication.

Pharmacovigilance is crucial for monitoring imiglucerase safety in vulnerable populations.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the adverse drug reactions associated with imiglucerase in the treatment of Gaucher disease by analyzing data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database.

A comprehensive analysis was conducted on 166,800,135 adverse event reports from the FAERS database, covering the period from the first quarter of 2004 to the fourth quarter of 2023. The data were processed using R software and analyzed using multiple disproportionality methods, including Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and Multi-Item Gamma Poisson Shrinker (MGPS). These methodologies were applied to identify significant adverse reaction signals across various System Organ Classes (SOCs) and Preferred Terms (PTs).

The analysis revealed significant adverse reaction signals in multiple SOCs, including general disorders and administration site conditions, injury, poisoning and procedural complications, infections and infestations, and nervous system disorders. Notably, general disorders and injury-related conditions had the highest number of reports. At the PT level, the term "Gaucher disease" yielded the highest statistical signal. This was identified as a critical reporting artifact, likely representing perceived treatment failure or disease progression, rather than a true adverse reaction. After accounting for this artifact, other significant adverse event signals included increased chitotriosidase, elevated acid phosphatase, and bone infarction, with musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders being a key area of concern. A comparative analysis against other Gaucher therapies suggests this strong skeletal signal likely reflects confounding by indication rather than a drug-specific risk.

The findings underscore the importance of ongoing pharmacovigilance to monitor the safety of imiglucerase, especially among vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, long-term users, and those with comorbid hepatobiliary or skeletal conditions.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13023-025-03934-7.

Figures