Comparative Analysis of Potential Side Effects of Targeted Oral Hypoglycemic Agents Using Spontaneous Adverse Event Reports and Social Media Data

AIM: Adverse events (AEs) detected in tweets and in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) provide valuable insights into patient experiences with oral hypoglycemic agents including sodium-glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors. This study compared the side effects identified from tweets with those in the FAERS to identify the AEs associated with each drug. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected AE data through tweet and the FAERS during 2017-2021. Relevant sentences in the tweets were annotated and manually labeled to identify AE terms. The data obtained from both sources were categorized according to the System Organ Class (SOC) of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. Renal and urinary disorders were defined as the index comparator with a value of 1.0. The relative frequency of a side effect compared with the index comparator was obtained. RESULTS: Both drugs showed similarities in high-frequency SOCs. The largest difference between the two datasets for DPP4 inhibitors was observed for the Cardiac disorders category. It ranked 12th in FAERS but 1st in tweets data, showing a marked difference in index values (FAERS 0.75, Tweet 10.80). For the SGLT2 inhibitor, the most evident difference was in the Surgical and medical procedures category. In this category, the index from FAERS was 0.26, while that from tweets was 3.49, ranking 12th and 1st, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the differences in the quantity and types of side effects between the two sources, we were able to identify which clinically significant side effects patients were concerned about and worried about.