Semaglutide and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Strongly Linked to Gastric Motility Disorders in Large Pharmacovigilance Analysis

Drug-induced gastric motility disorders, including delayed gastric emptying and gastroesophageal reflux, represent critical yet often underrecognized complications, especially in hospitalized patients on polypharmacy. These conditions pose a significant risk for pulmonary aspiration, a major perioperative safety concern. While various medication classes are implicated, a comprehensive understanding of individual drug risks has been lacking. This study addresses this gap by leveraging large-scale pharmacovigilance data to identify specific drugs associated with these motility issues, particularly as the use of medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists increases.

Researchers conducted a disproportionality analysis using adverse event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS; n > 58 million reports from 2004-2025) and validated findings against the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction Online Database (CVARD). They screened the top 50 drugs, employing three statistical algorithms: Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), and Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN). Additionally, Weibull time-to-onset analysis characterized the temporal patterns of adverse event development for identified signals.