Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40790231›Full record

ArticleBMC pharmacology & toxicology2025

Safety profile of belatacept in a real-life setting: disproportionality analysis of the WHO pharmacovigilance database.

Alexandre O Gérard, Diane Merino, Nouha Ben Othman, Alexandre Destere, Delphine Viard, Elliot Ewig, Fanny Rocher, Antoine Sicard, Milou-Daniel Drici

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC pharmacology & toxicology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
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

9 authors.

Alexandre O GérardDepartment of Nephrology-Dialysis-Transplantation, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.ORCID 0000-0001-6591-6966
Diane MerinoDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.ORCID 0000-0001-7669-2339
Nouha Ben OthmanDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.
Alexandre DestereDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.
Delphine ViardDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.
Elliot EwigDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.
Fanny RocherDepartment of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.
Antoine Sicard *Department of Nephrology-Dialysis-Transplantation, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France.ORCID 0000-0003-3427-3894
Milou-Daniel Drici *Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Université Côte d'Azur, University Hospital Centre of Nice, Nice, France. pharmacovigilance@chu-nice.fr.ORCID 0000-0003-4121-530X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBelatacept is a co-stimulation blocker used in kidney transplant recipients to prevent allograft rejection. Unlike calcineurin inhibitors, belatacept is non-nephrotoxic and may carry a lower risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. However, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) includes a broad range of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), mostly identified in small clinical trials with cyclosporine as a control, in patients exposed to other immunosuppressants. As real-world data on belatacept safety accumulate, a reassessment of its safety profile becomes essential.

methodsWe analyzed pharmacovigilance data from VigiBase

resultsWe retrieved 2795 reports involving belatacept, including 424 (15.2%) fatal cases. The disproportionality analysis highlighted 51 potential signals that were not explicitly listed in the SmPC, such as Clostridium difficile infection, hepatitis B reactivation, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Conversely, 47 (33.1%) of the 142 ADRs classified as "common" or "very common" in the SmPC, such as Cushing's syndrome or depression, had fewer than three reports in VigiBase

conclusionsThis study highlights discrepancies between the belatacept SmPC and real-world pharmacovigilance data. Several labeled ADRs were not reported frequently in VigiBase

Indexed as

AbataceptImmunosuppressive AgentsPharmacovigilanceAdultAdverse Drug Reaction Reporting SystemsAgedDatabases, FactualFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedWorld Health OrganizationYoung AdultAbataceptImmunosuppressive AgentsAdverse drug reactionsBelataceptImmunosuppressionPharmacovigilanceTransplantation

Identifiers

PMID40790231
PMCPMC12341210

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.