Interstitial Nephritis Secondary to Vedolizumab Treatment in Crohn Disease and Safe Rechallenge Using Steroids: A Case Report.

Vedolizumab is a gut-selective humanized monoclonal antibody that binds selectively to the α4 ß7 integrin and acts as a lymphocyte-homing antagonist. It is indicated in ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease. We report a case of acute interstitial nephritis following vedolizumab infusion in a 55-year-old white woman treated for severe Crohn disease resistant to several therapies. Other kidney disease causes were ruled out. Glucocorticoids were administrated, leading to full renal recovery. In the absence of other therapeutic options, vedolizumab was re-administered along with transient corticosteroids; this treatment was well tolerated. Fewer than 10 cases of immunoallergic acute interstitial nephritis following treatment with monoclonal antibody have previously been reported in the literature. The pathophysiology of delayed-type hypersensitivity secondary to monoclonal antibody therapeutics is discussed in this case report.

Pregnancy outcomes in women on metformin for diabetes or other indications among those seeking teratology information services.

AIMS: Metformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome associated infertility, and gestational diabetes. This study aims to evaluate the safety of metformin in early pregnancy. METHOD: We evaluated the risk of major birth defects and pregnancy losses in a cohort of pregnant women exposed to metformin during the first trimester for different indications relative to a matched unexposed reference group. RESULTS: The risk of major birth defects was 5.1% (20/392) in pregnancies exposed to metformin during the first trimester and 2.1% (9/431) in the reference group [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.70; 95% CI 0.70-4.38]. Among metformin users, this risk was 7.8% (17/219) in patients with pre-gestational diabetes and 1.7% (3/173) in those without this diagnosis. Compared to the unexposed reference, the OR for metformin user with diabetes was 3.95 (95% CI 1.77-9.41) and for metformin with other indications it was 0.83 (95% CI 0.18-2.81). The risk of pregnancy losses (spontaneous abortions and stillbirths) was 20.8% in women on metformin during the first trimester and 10.8% in the reference group [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.57; 95% CI 0.90-2.74]. The risks for women on metformin with and without pre-gestational diabetes were 24.0% and 16.8% respectively, with adjusted HR of 2.51 (95% CI 1.44-4.36) and 1.38 (95% CI 0.74-2.59) when compared to the reference. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with pre-gestational diabetes on metformin are at a higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes than the general population. This appears to be due to the underlying diabetes since women on metformin for other indications do not present meaningfully increased risks.

Neonatal adverse drug reactions: an analysis of reports to the French pharmacovigilance database.

AIM: Term and preterm neonates are at high risk for serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs). METHODS: A descriptive study of reports registered in the French pharmacovigilance database from 1986 to 2012 were obtained. All reports concerning neonates (≤1 month of life) with direct drug exposure were retrieved. Characteristics of the reports, including reported ADR(s), drug(s) and the causality assessment using the French causality assessment method, were described. RESULTS: A total of 1688 reports were analyzed and more than half of them were classified as serious (n = 995). Median age at ADR occurrence was 9 days. Overall, 3127 ADRs were described in these reports in relation to 2238 suspect/interacting drugs. The most commonly reported system organ classes (SOCs) were injury, poisoning and procedural complications (16%), general disorders and administration site conditions (12.5%) and blood and lymphatic system disorders (12%). In the majority of ADRs reported (73%), infants fully recovered and less than 4% of neonates deceased as a consequence of the reported ADR. One out of five ADRs was associated with drug administration errors. Therapeutic classes commonly incriminated were anti-infectives, nervous system and alimentary tract drugs. Substances most frequently related to serious ADRs were zidovudine, ibuprofen and nevirapine. Among the 10 most frequently encountered drug-ADR pairs, two substances were mainly implicated, zidovudine in haematological adverse reactions and phytomenadione in maladministrations. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-infective drugs, mainly antiretroviral therapy, account for the majority of ADRs reported in neonates. The specific issue of drug maladministration and medication errors remains to be addressed in neonates.

Case Report of Probable DRESS Syndrome Associated with Ribociclib.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare but known and potentially severe side effect of drugs. The recent development of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, such as ribociclib, has considerably improved the management of hormone receptor positive (HR+) and HER2 negative (HER2-) advanced breast cancer. Here, we present the case of an 83-year-old patient who developed a probable DRESS syndrome induced by ribociclib, presenting with fever, eosinophilia, rash, and hepatic cytolysis. The RegiSCAR score was 4. The symptomatology evolved favorably with topical and systemic corticosteroids, without any sequel. Another CDK4/6 inhibitor, palbociclib, was introduced later without any cross-toxicity and with an excellent therapeutic response for more than 3 years.

Peripheral facial palsy post SARS-CoV-2 vaccine: A regional pharmacovigilance cases series.

Peripheral facial palsy (PFP) is a rare adverse reaction identified from clinical trials of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines (messenger ribonucleic acid [mRNA] and viral vector). Few data are available on their onset patterns and risk of recurrence after re-injection of a COVID-19 vaccine; the objective of this study was to describe PFP cases attributed to COVID-19 vaccines. All cases of facial paralysis reported to the Regional Pharmacovigilance Center of Centre-Val de Loire area between January and October 2021, in which the role of a COVID-19 vaccine was suspected, were selected. Based on initial data and following additional information requested, each case was reviewed and analyzed to include only confirmed cases of PFP for which the role of the vaccine could be retained. From the 38 cases reported, 23 were included (15 excluded because of diagnosis not retained). They occurred in 12 men and 11 women (median age of 51 years). The first clinical manifestations occurred with a median time of 9 days after COVID-19 vaccine injection, and the paralysis was homolateral to the vaccinated arm in 70%. The etiological workup, always negative, included brain imaging (48%), infectious serologies (74%) and Covid-19 PCR (52%). Corticosteroid therapy was prescribed for 20 (87%) patients, combined with aciclovir in 12 (52%). At 4-month follow-up, clinical manifestations had regressed completely or partially in 20 (87%) of the 23 patients (median time of 30 days). From them 12 (60%) received another dose of COVID-19 vaccine and none had a recurrence and the PFP regressed despite the second dose in 2 of the 3 patients not fully recovered at 4 months. The potential mechanism of PFP after COVID-19 vaccine, which don't have a specific profile, is probably the interferon-γ. Moreover, the risk of recurrence after a new injection appears to be very low, which makes it possible to continue the vaccination.

Drug dependence associated with triptans and ergot derivatives: a case/non-case study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this case/non-case study was to assess and compare the risk of drug dependence associated with different migraine-specific drugs, i.e., ergot derivatives and triptans, using the French pharmacovigilance database. METHODS: Reports on drug side effects recorded in this database between January 1985 and June 2007 were analyzed, and triptans (almotriptan, eletriptan, naratriptan, sumatriptan, and zolmitriptan) as well as ergot derivatives used in acute migraine were examined. For all reports, cases were defined as those reports corresponding to "drug abuse," "physical or mental drug dependence," and "pharmacodependence," whereas "non-cases" were defined as all the remaining SED reports. The method's reliability was assessed by calculating the risk associated with a negative (amoxicillin) and a positive (benzodiazepines) control. The risk of dependence associated with each drug and control was evaluated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: Among the 309,178 reports recorded in the database, drug dependence accounted for 0.8% (2,489) of the reports, with 10.9% (449) involving a triptan, and 9.33% (332) an ergot derivative. The risk of dependence was similar for triptans and ergot derivatives and did not differ from that of benzodiazepines. In the triptan group, the risk (odds ratio [95% CI]) ranged from 10.3 [4.8-22.3] for sumatriptan to 21.5 for eletriptan [10.1-45.6], while in the ergot derivative group, it ranged from 12 [8-17.9] for ergotamine to 20.6 [8-53] for dihydroergotamine. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the hypothesis that triptans and ergot derivatives are associated with an increased risk of drug dependence.

[Adverse reactions of atazanavir, fosamprenavir and tipranavir in "real life"]. / Effets indésirables de l'atazanavir, du fosamprénavir et du tipranavir en situation réelle d'emploi.

OBJECTIVE: To precise adverse effects of atazanavir, fosamprenavir and tipranavir "in real life". METHOD: Descriptive study of 3 protease inhibitor adverse effects stored in the French Bank of Pharmacovigilance. RESULTS: Nineteen adverse effects having at least possible links with antiretroviral drugs studied were reported. It was essentially hepatobiliary (atazanavir: 29/59, tipranavir: 4/6) and skin (fosamprenavir: 10/20) adverse reactions. These reactions, relatively "serious" (35.1%) led to the interruption of the person (or persons) medication (s) suspected (s) in 69 folds (82.1%) and evolved to healing without sequelae in 68 folds (81%). CONCLUSION: The drug side effects were for the most expected. However, their frequency and their seriously underline the interest of a post-AMM monitoring to reassess the drugs risk-benefit report.

Avoidability of adverse drug reactions spontaneously reported to a French regional drug monitoring centre.

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are now recognized as a major category of iatrogenic illness in terms of morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: To describe the type and frequency of avoidable ADRs spontaneously reported to a regional drug monitoring centre following inappropriate prescribing, as a basis for preventive actions. METHODS: A prospective, observational study of ADRs reported to the Regional Drug Monitoring Centre of Tours, France, between 26 November 2002 and 28 November 2003. The outcome measure was ADRs secondary to inappropriate prescribing that were defined as entirely or partly avoidable, i.e. at least one of the recommendations in various sections of the summary of product characteristics (SPC; indication, route of administration, dose, duration of treatment, dose adaptation, precautions for use, monitoring of treatment, absolute contraindications and contraindicated interactions) had not been respected. The link between the lack of conformity of the drug prescription with the SPC and occurrence of the ADR was evaluated by a working group using two criteria: (i) is nonconformity of the prescription of this drug a known and validated risk factor for this ADR?; and (ii) are there other aetiologies or other risk factors for this ADR? RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty ADRs in 294 adults and 66 children were analysed. The prescription was considered inappropriate for 213 of the 659 (32%) drugs implicated in ADRs, corresponding to 161 patients (45%). The ADR was adjudged entirely avoidable for 32 (9%) patients, partly avoidable for 28 (8%) patients and unavoidable for 300 (83%) patients. Not taking into account a history of allergy or altered renal function and not respecting the recommended dose were the most frequent causes of entirely avoidable ADRs. Allopurinol and lamotrigine were the drugs most frequently involved in serious avoidable ADRs. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive actions should focus on more systematic allergy checks when prescribing drugs and on dose adaptation in cases of altered renal function.

[Alitretinoin (Toctino®): A French follow-up study of harmacovigilance]. / Alitrétinoïne (Toctino®) : données françaises de pharmacovigilance.

INTRODUCTION: The adverse reaction profile of alitretinoin, a retinoid indicated in severe topical corticosteroid-refractory chronic hand eczema, is similar to that of other oral retinoids, especially isotretinoin. The objective of this study was to detect new adverse effects (not listed) of alitretinoin and to estimate the number of pregnancies exposed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All cases of ADR reported in France with alitretinoin between October 1st, 2012 and February 29th, 2016 were analysed. RESULTS: During the 41 months of follow-up, 52 cases of serious adverse drug reaction (ADR) and 88 cases of non-serious and unexpected ADR were notified. The most frequent serious ADRs were psychiatric, neurological and dermatological. Psychiatric disorders, mainly depression and suicidal ideation represented 23% of serious ADRs. New adverse drug reactions were detected: myocardial infarction, pancreatitis and digestive haemorrhage. Three pregnancies exposed during the teratogenic risk period, were registered. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The safety profile of alitretinoin matches that of other retinoids. However, the rate of psychiatric disorders appears to be high. Otherwise, the risk of myocardial infarction in patients with cardiovascular risk factor should be considered as a safety concern. It could be explained by the hyperlipemic effects of alitretinoin and studies suggest a cardiovascular risk with retinoids through their effects on lipids (class effect), especially for patients with others cardiovascular risk factors. Pancreatitis and digestive hemorrhage are described with isotretinoin. The rate of reporting of pregnancy induced by a non-compliance with the Pregnancy Prevention Program is near the rate observed with isotretinoin. The high incidence of serious ADR and the non-application of pregnancy prevention program lead the French National Agency for Medicines to limit the first prescription of alitretinoin to dermatologists.

[Vaccines pharmacovigilance]. / Pharmacovigilance des vaccins.

The pharmacovigilance of vaccines has the particularity of concerning medications with a preventative target, used in healthy subjects, who are often young. Their individual benefit is deferred and unknown, whereas their risk is immediate. Certain undesirable effects are linked to the antigen of live attenuated vaccines (post-MMR lymphocytic meningitis). Other non-specific effects are linked to other different components of the vaccines (macrophage and aluminium myofasciitis). Undesirable events susceptible to being due to the vaccination are identified and managed according to standardised procedures of pharmacovigilance, that is to say, based on "spontaneous notification", generation of an alert, confirmed or not by studies of pharmaco-epidemiology. The studies of pharmaco-epidemiology: have made evident oedematous reactions with cyanosis or purpura, with the vaccines containing the Haemophilus b valence, and the absence of an association with sudden death of the newborn; have excluded the existence of an elevated risk of demyelinisation or auto-immune disease associated with vaccination against hepatitis B, without being able to exclude a slight risk; go against the finding of an association between Crohn's disease and/or autisim and the MMR vaccination. Only their frequently encountered undesirable effects are well identified at the moment of commercialisation. Post-marketing surveillance of vaccines (declaration to the regional pharmacovigilance centres) allow the detection of possible rare and serious effects and the evaluation of the real vaccination risk. Thus it must be intensive and systematic.

Asthma unmasked with tumor necrosis factor-α-blocking drugs.

We report five cases of asthma unmasked by anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-blocking drugs. Asthma symptoms appeared within an average of 4 months (range 1-24 months) after starting the anti-TNF-α treatment for inflammatory disease. The patients did not appear to be predisposed to asthma except for one patient who had asthma during childhood. Four patients stopped anti-TNF-α-blocking drugs with an improvement of symptoms within 1 to 5 months. In the patient with a history of childhood asthma, respiratory symptoms recurred when another anti-TNF-α therapy was started. Asthma control was achieved with inhaled steroids, allowing anti-TNF-α treatment to continue. The biotherapy was maintained for the fifth patient in association with inhaled steroids. The pathophysiologic mechanisms are unknown but are probably more complex than the T helper 1/T helper 2 imbalance suggested in the literature, and further studies are required.

Frequency of adverse drug reactions in children: a prospective study.

AIMS: To assess the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in children in France. METHODS: In a prospective study over a period of 1 week, we evaluated the incidence of ADRs (1) as a cause of admission to a regional children's hospital; (2) occurring during hospitalization in a regional children's hospital; and (3) as a cause of consultation with private paediatricians. RESULTS: Four out of 260 children were admitted to the regional children's hospital for ADRs (1.53% [0.42, 3.89]) and six developed ADRs during hospitalization (2.64% [0.97, 5.66]), 4/428 attended the Accident and Emergency Department for ADRs (0.93% [0.25, 2.37]) and 8/1192 consulted a private paediatrician for ADRs (0.67% [0.29, 1.31]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results are in agreement with the incidence of ADRs in children found in others countries.