Despite the well-documented benefits of biological agents for psoriasis relief, serious and unexpected adverse drug reactions also have been reported[8]. Thus, there is a need to monitor their actual use and adverse effects to ensure their safety and efficacy.
By delving the FAERS database from the first quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2023, this study systematically assessed the adverse reactions associated with Brodalumab, reaffirming established safety data while identifying new potential risks. These findings offer a more comprehensive and precise dataset to support clinical practice and inform public health decisions. An in-depth discussion of the study's results is presented below.
Male patients were more prevalent than female patients, This may be related to the tendency of males to report adverse events more frequently,because there is no gender difference in the incidence of psoriasis[9]. It should be noted that much of the data lacked specific age-specific data, which limits our understanding of the occurrence of side effects in different age groups. Accurate age-specific data and examination of differences in drug reactions across age groups are needed for further research.
As a dermatologic drugs, the adverse events of brodalumab predominantly concern skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, infections and infestations and musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders.At the PT level, apart from the high incidence of vaccination site vesicles and vaccination site haemorrhage, this study also discovered adverse events not mentioned in the medication leaflet, such as palmoplantar pustulosis, extranodal marginal zone b-cell lymphoma (malt type) and calcium metabolism disorder. This suggests the value of quantitative signal detection methods in monitoring adverse drug events to provide information about potential risks. Palmoplantar pustulosis, extranodal marginal zone b-cell lymphoma (malt type) and calcium metabolism disorder have strong signal strengths and warrant special attention.
Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by aseptic pustules on the palms and metatarsals, with many similarities to pustular psoriasis, and has been regarded by many scholars as an extremity variant of pustular psoriasis with limb restriction, whereas some scholars consider PPP to be a separate disease[10]. In addition, cases of palmoplantar pustulosis caused by brodalumab have been reported[11].It is speculated that blockade of IL-17A might lead to an increased production of inflammatory cytokines upstream of IL-17A or that the Th1 pathway for cytokines such as IL-12 and TNF is upregulated and may mediate this paradoxical response[12].
Marginal zone lymphomas (MZL) represent the second most prevalent subtype of indolent lymphomas, constituting 7% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL). In 2016, there were 7,460 new cases diagnosed in the United States.[13–14]. Extranodal marginal zone b-cell lymphoma is one of the MZL subtypes[15].Psoriasis is associated with an increased incidence of certain cancers, and patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of developing lymphohematopoietic and pancreatic cancers and other malignant tumors, and the risk is further elevated in patients with a long history of the disease[16], which may be related to impaired immune function [17]. The results of the our study suggest that brodalumab does not have any clear link with the incidence of benign, malignant, and tumors of undetermined nature, but has a higher signal intensity with the development of extranodal marginal zone b-cell lymphomas. It seems that brodalumab has a low risk of carcinogenesis based on the available data, but more studies are needed to confirm this.
Recent studies have increasingly highlighted that individuals with psoriasis may face a heightened risk of pathologic fractures and osteoporosis[18], and many reports have shown that patients with psoriasis have serum vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency, and several clinical case-control studies have shown that patients with psoriasis have significantly lower levels of serum 25(OH)D compared to controls, and have reported that serum 25(OH)D levels correlate with disease severity in a A negative correlation between serum 25(OH)D levels and disease severity has been reported[19]. Vitamin D has a regulatory effect on calcium metabolism, promoting intestinal absorption of calcium, calcium deposition in osteoblasts, and renal reabsorption of calcium[20]. Therefore, it cannot be confirmed that the calcium metabolism disorder in this study was caused by brodalumab.
It is important to recognize that the incidence of side effects is influenced by numerous factors, including the characteristics of the drug, individual variability, and underlying health conditions. Additionally, certain limitations must be considered, such as the reliance on spontaneous reports, which can result in reporting bias and incomplete data. Consequently, more extensive experimental and clinical research is necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying adverse events. To achieve a more comprehensive and accurate understanding, future research should incorporate detailed prospective studies that integrate clinical trials with epidemiological analyses to more precisely evaluate the safety risks associated with brodalumab.