Work

Adverse Reactions by Radiopharmaceuticals: Retrospective Analysis of the Portuguese National Pharmacovigilance System

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Radiopharmaceuticals are essential in the field of nuclear medicine, but like any other medicinal product, radiopharmaceuticals can potentially cause adverse reactions in patients. OBJECTIVE: To describe the adverse reactions to radiopharmaceuticals reported to the Portuguese National Pharmacovigilance System (SNF). METHODS: We performed a retrospective, observational study by examining individual case safety reports (ICSRs) provided by the SNF related to all radiopharmaceuticals commercially available in Portugal from 2010 to 2023. RESULTS: The SNF received a total of 84 ICSRs. These reports resulted in a total of 224 adverse drug reactions (ADR), which involved a total of 15 different radiopharmaceuticals. The mean age of patients was 61.9 years old. Twenty-one different system organ classes (SOCs) were identified, with the most prevalent situations being "Gastrointestinal Disorders" (18.3%; n = 41) followed by "General disorders and administration site conditions" (16.5%; n = 37), "Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders" (11.2%; n = 25) and "Blood and lymphatic system disorders" (10.3%; n = 23). Fifty-seven reports (67.85%) showed at least 1 serious ADR. Most notified radiopharmaceuticals were, respectively, radium-223 (n = 36, 41.4%), lutetium-177 oxotreotide (n = 12, 13.8%) and iodide-131 (n = 9, 10.3%). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Although the number of notifications is limited, these findings provide valuable insights into the types and frequencies of adverse reactions associated with radiopharmaceuticals used in Portugal between 2010 and 2023. The data highlight the importance of continued pharmacovigilance efforts to monitor the safety of these specialized medical products and inform clinical decision-making.

Source: Annals of Pharmacotherapy

DOI: 10.1177/10600280251316542

Authors: Sara Martins, Ângelo Jesus, Ricardo Andrade, Mariana Rocha, Ana Martín-Suarez

Institutions: Universidad de Salamanca, Rede de Química e Tecnologia, LAQV Requimte, Universidade Técnica do Porto, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca

Language: English

Topic: Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Drug Reactions

Subfield: Toxicology

Field: Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,400