A pharmacovigilance study on the safety of faricimab in real-world scenario using FDA adverse event reporting system database.

Background: Faricimab is predominantly prescribed for conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and macular edema related to retinal vein occlusion (RVO-ME). Currently, a notable absence of large-scale, real-world studies focusing on the adverse reactions of faricimab exists.

Methods: This study assesses the side effects of faricimab by analyzing reports of adverse events (AEs) from the FDA's AE Reporting System (FAERS) database. Through disproportionality analysis, this study substantiates the drug's safety oversight.

Results: Our study revealed 2,746 instances of adverse events linked to faricimab, spanning 21 system organ classes (SOCs). The study retained 121 significant disproportionality preferred terms (PTs) that met criteria across all four analytical methods. Faricimab-associated AEs not documented in the drug instructions included visual impairment, blindness, retinal hemorrhage, anterior chamber inflammation, keratic precipitates, dry eye, chorioretinitis, diabetic retinopathy, and others.

Conclusion: The majority of our results align with earlier clinical studies and the details outlined in the product's manual. Additionally, we identified several unforeseen and potential AE signals related to faricimab use. These insights are instrumental for ongoing clinical surveillance and risk assessment associated with the drug.