Brodalumab: 4-Year US Pharmacovigilance Report

Brodalumab is an interleukin-17 receptor A antagonist approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in adults without response or with loss of response to other systemic therapies. Brodalumab carries a boxed warning in the United States regarding suicidal ideation and behavior, though no causal relationship has been established. Here, we summarize 4 years of pharmacovigilance data, from August 15, 2017, through August 14, 2021, reported to Ortho Dermatologics by US patients and healthcare providers. The most common AEs listed in the brodalumab package insert (incidence ≥1%) and AEs of special interest are described. Brodalumab exposure estimates were calculated using the time between the first prescription-dispensing authorization date and last prescription-dispensing authorization date. Data were collected from 4019 patients with an estimated brodalumab exposure of 4563 patient-years. The most common AE was arthralgia (115 events; 2.52 events per 100 patient-years). No completed suicides and no new suicidal attempts were reported. There were 102 cases with serious infections; however, no serious fungal infections (including no new cases of oral candidiasis) were reported. There were 26 COVID-19 cases, and 3 of the cases with comorbid conditions were fatal. There were no new cases of Crohn’s disease. Of 37 reported malignancies among 32 cases, none were deemed related to brodalumab. Four-year pharmacovigilance data are consistent with the established safety profile reported in long-term clinical trials and 3-year pharmacovigilance data. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4) doi:10.36849/JDD.7344 Citation: Lebwohl M, Koo J, Leonardi C, et al. Brodalumab: 4-Year US pharmacovigilance report. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4):419-422. doi:10.36849/JDD.7344.