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Current Drug Safety

Editor-in-Chief

ISSN (Print): 1574-8863
ISSN (Online): 2212-3911

Research Article

An Audit of Black Box Warnings (BBWs) in the United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) Database - A Five-Year Analysis

Author(s): Debdipta Bose, Nithya Gogtay, Tejusv Goel and Mahanjit Konwar*

Volume 17, Issue 1, 2022

Published on: 11 August, 2021

Page: [54 - 58] Pages: 5

DOI: 10.2174/1574886316666210811161939

Price: $65

Abstract

Background: The Black-Box Warning (BBW) is the most serious warning that US-FDA can ask for on a drug’s labelling. BBWs represent key safety concerns uncovered either during dossier review or post-approval. We have conducted the present study with the primary objective of assessing BBWs issued by the US-FDA.

Methods: BBWs were identified on US-FDA’s website from 1st January 2015 to 31st December, 2019. Prescribing information was used to identify and characterize BBWs into new and minor/major updates on a previous BBW. The therapeutic class of the drug, nature [Biological/New Molecular entity (NME)], formulation type, expected duration of use, along with the year of first approval of the molecule with BBWs were evaluated.

Results: A total of n = 167 BBWs were issued by the FDA of which 53 (31.7%) had major updates, 57(34.1%) had minor updates and 57(34.1%) were new BBWs. A total of 137(82%) of BBWs were with NME’s whereas 30(18%) were with biologics. Drugs for neurology 40(25.5%)had the highest number of BBWs, followed by oncology 38(24.2%). Among the type of BBWs, cardiovascular risk 31 (15%) were the highest.

Conclusion: Practicing physicians need to understand that benefit-risk of a drug is dynamic and keep abreast of new data related to it.

Keywords: Black box warning, pharmacovigilance, US-FDA, biologics, new molecular entity, prescribing information (PI).

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