Can glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists induce asthma? An analysis of the FAERS database

Abstract

Objective

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RAs), originally developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have attracted attention for their potential therapeutic benefits in asthma due to their anti-inflammatory properties and effects on airway smooth muscle function. However, concerns have been raised about the possibility of GLP1RAs inducing or exacerbating asthma symptoms.

Methods

We reviewed data from the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) adverse event (AE) reporting system (FAERS) to examine reports of cases of asthma observed in the real-world during treatment with GLP1RAs.

Results

Analysis of the FAERS reporting system database has shown that certain GLP1RAs, particularly exenatide, semaglutide and liraglutide, were associated with a higher proportion of respiratory AEs, particularly asthma or asthma-like events. This association was statistically significant at least for semaglutide and liraglutide. Serious asthma-related events and deaths were also reported, with exenatide having the highest proportion of deaths.

Conclusions

The reasons for the observed differences in the AE profiles of the GLP1RAs remain unclear and may involve various factors such as pharmacological properties, patient characteristics and reporting biases. The complex interplay between the therapeutic benefits of GLP1RAs and the potential respiratory risks requires careful monitoring by clinicians, underpinned by ongoing research efforts to improve patient care and safety.

Keywords:

• Asthma
• glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists
• US Food and Drug Administration’s adverse events reporting system

Authors’ contributions

MC designed and conceptualized the study, contributed to data acquisition, interpreted the data, and wrote the manuscript. MGM, LC, DL and PR interpreted the data and critically revised the content on their areas of expertise. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.