Pharmacovigilance analysis of orlistat adverse events based on the FDA adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database

Objective: Based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database, we analyzed the signals of potential adverse events (AEs) of orlistat in the real world to provide a reference for its safe clinical use. Methods: The FAERS database and OpenVigil 2.1 were used to obtain data on adverse events of orlistat from the first quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of 2023, and to analyze the population in which the adverse events occurred. And the signals of their potential adverse events were mined using reporting odds ratio (ROR), proportional reporting ratio (PRR), Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) and empirical Bayesian geometric mean (EBGM). Result: A total of 21,079 reports of adverse events with orlistat as the primary suspected drug were collected in this study. Using four disproportionate analyses, we screened 117 preferred terms (PTs) involving 18 system organ classes (SOCs). We found that the most common adverse events at SOC level for orlistat remained "gastrointestinal disorders", while "metabolism and nutrition disorders", "renal and urinary disorders", "musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders" and "hepatobiliary disorders" also ranked high in the number of case reports. In addition, at the PT level, we identified several new signals of adverse events not mentioned in the specification, including "lipiduria", "anal haemorrhage", "rectal haemorrhage", "haematochezia", "sigmoiditis", "diverticulitis" and "muscle spasms". Conclusion: Most of the adverse events found in this study are consistent with the results described in the drug label. At the same time, we also found some new adverse events, which require more prospective studies to verify and elucidate their relationship with orlistat.