Evidence map›Paper›PMID 20082539›Full record

ArticleDrug safety2010

Safety-related regulatory actions for orphan drugs in the US and EU: a cohort study.

Harald E Heemstra, Thijs J Giezen, Aukje K Mantel-Teeuwisse, Remco L A de Vrueh, Hubert G M Leufkens

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Drug safety, 2010. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Observational
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Additional safety risk to exceptionally approved drugs in Europe?British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2011
    Article
  12. Access to orphan drugs despite poor quality of clinical evidence.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2011
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Harald E HeemstraDivision of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Thijs J Giezen
Aukje K Mantel-Teeuwisse
Remco L A de Vrueh
Hubert G M Leufkens

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDrugs for rare diseases, so-called orphan drugs, are often intended for serious or chronically debilitating diseases. Safety information is more limited at the time of approval for orphan drugs as a result of various factors, such as the limited number of patients in clinical trials, quality of the clinical trials and special approval procedures. Several studies have been conducted on safety-related regulatory actions for drugs, but none of these have specifically focused on orphan drugs.

objectiveTo determine the frequency and nature of safety-related regulatory actions for orphan drugs in the US and EU.

methodsThis cohort study examined publicly available data from the websites of US and EU regulatory authorities on orphan drugs approved in the US and/or the EU between January 2000 and December 2007. The main outcome measures were the nature, frequency and timing of safety-related regulatory actions, defined as (i) safety withdrawals; (ii) 'black-box' warnings; and (iii) written communications to healthcare professionals issued by the US FDA or the European Medicines Agency between January 2000 and June 2008.

resultsNinety-five orphan drugs were approved during the study period (75 in the US, 44 in the EU, and 24 in both regions). Ten products (10.5%) received a safety-related regulatory action. No safety withdrawals, four black-box warnings and 12 written communications were identified. The probability of a first safety-related regulatory action for orphan drugs was 20.3% after 8 years of follow-up. Orphan drugs approved by accelerated approval (relative risk [RR] 3.32; 95% CI 1.06, 10.42), oncological products (RR 7.83; 95% CI 0.96, 63.82) and products for gastrointestinal and metabolism indications (RR 10.44; 95% CI 1.25, 87.27) may have a higher risk for a safety-related regulatory action.

conclusionsThe probability of a first safety-related regulatory action for an orphan drug was slightly lower than that reported in the literature for biologicals in one study and new molecular entities in another study. However, detection of safety issues may be complicated by the limited experience with orphan drugs in practical use due to the low prevalences of the diseases they are used for. Doctors and pharmacists should therefore be vigilant with regard to the occurrence of a safety-related issue for orphan drugs.

Indexed as

Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting SystemsLegislation, DrugOrphan Drug ProductionCohort StudiesDrug ApprovalDrug LabelingEuropean UnionHumansUnited States

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.