Oncotherapeutic Protein Kinase Inhibitors Associated With Pro-Arrhythmic Liability

Background Ibrutinib is a protein kinase inhibitor that has been widely successful in treating multiple common variations of B-cell cancers. However, an unfortunate side effect of ibrutinib is that it predisposes patients to development of atrial fibrillation.

 Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess other commonly prescribed protein kinase inhibitors for similar pro-arrhythmic liability. 

Methods This study comprehensively evaluated data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration adverse events reporting system and determined the reporting of cardiac arrhythmia attributed to kinase inhibitor therapy using a multivariable logistic regression model. We evaluated 3,663,300 case reports containing 23,067 cases of atrial fibrillation and 66,262 cases of cardiac arrhythmia. In total, 32 protein kinase inhibitors were evaluated, almost all of which are oncotherapeutics. 

Results Seven protein kinase inhibitors were associated with a significant increase in the odds of atrial fibrillation (ibrutinib, ponatinib, nilotinib, ribociclib, trametinib, osimertinib, and idelalisib). Assessment of broader pro-arrhythmic toxicity suggested a ventricular-specific liability for nilotinib and a bradyarrhythmia risk with alectinib and crizotinib. 

Conclusions Compounds that result in the inhibition of a number of protein kinases are associated with an increased risk of cardiac rhythm disturbances. The mechanisms driving the arrhythmogenic effects remain to be discovered, but this study presents an important step in identifying and prioritizing the study of these protein kinase signaling pathways.