Comparison of Signal Detection Algorithms Based on Frequency Statistical Model for Drug-Drug Interaction Using...

Adverse events (AEs) caused by polypharmacy have recently become a clinical problem, and it is important to monitor the safety profile of drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Mining signals using the spontaneous reporting systems is a very effective method for single drug-induced AE monitoring as well as early detection of DDIs. The objective of this study was to compare signal detection algorithms for DDIs based on frequency statistical models.

Five frequency statistical models: the Ω shrinkage measure, additive (risk difference), multiplicative (risk ratio), combination risk ratio, and chi-square statistics models were compared using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report (JADER) database as the spontaneous reporting system in Japan. The drugs targeted for the survey are all registered and classified as "suspect drugs" in JADER, and the AEs targeted for this study were the same as those in a previous study on Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS).

Of 3924 pairs that reported SJS, the number of signals detected by the Ω shrinkage measure, additive, multiplicative, combination risk ratio, and chi-square statistics models was 712, 3298, 2252, 739, and 1289 pairs, respectively. Among the five models, the Ω shrinkage measure model showed the most conservative signal detection tendency.

Specifically, caution should be exercised when the number of reports is low because results differ depending on the statistical models. This study will contribute to the selection of appropriate statistical models to detect signals of potential DDIs.