Drugs › Antisense oligonucleotide
Brand name · Eteplirsen
Exondys 51: adverse event reports filed with FDA
2,237 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2017–2026. Class: Antisense oligonucleotide.
- 2,237
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 236 a year
- 458
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 331 in the 12 months before
- 17.1%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 39.7% across the class
- 2.4%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 54 reports · not verified by FDA
2,237 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2017 to June 2026. A further 81 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 458 reports listed it, up 38% from 331 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 236 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 21.4% of the reports for the antisense oligonucleotide class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded product dose omission issue (30.5%), no adverse event (24.6%) and intentional dose omission (12.5%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 204 different terms appear across these reports. Product dose omission issue is recorded in 30.5% of these reports, about the same share as in the median antisense oligonucleotide drug (30.5%).
17.1% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (39.7% across the class); 2.4% record death among the outcomes and 12.6% record hospitalisation, as reported. 72.5% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (28.8%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Exondys 51 reports recording the termmedian drug in antisense oligonucleotide
- Product dose omission issuea dose was missed30.5%682
- No adverse eventno adverse event was reported24.6%550
- Intentional dose omission12.5%279
- Poor venous access8.3%186
- Device issuea problem with the device8.1%181
- Pyrexiafever4.5%101
- Covid-19COVID-19 infection3.7%82
- Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell3.3%73
- Coughcough2.4%54
- Illness2.4%54
- Pneumonialung infection2.3%52
- Falla fall2.1%46
- Influenzaflu2.1%46
- Product dose omissiona dose was missed1.8%40
- Exposure to SARS-CoV-21.6%36
- Nasopharyngitisa cold1.4%32
- Underdoseless than the intended dose1.4%32
- Vomitingbeing sick1.4%31
- Dyspnoeashortness of breath1.3%29
- Incorrect dose administeredthe wrong dose was given1.3%28
- Dehydrationdehydration1.2%27
- Catheter site pain1.1%24
- Chest painchest pain1%22
- Fatiguetiredness1%22
- Headachehead pain1%22
- Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools0.9%20
- Weight increasedweight gain0.9%20
- Femur fracture0.8%18
Top 30 of 204 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 3 drugs in the antisense oligonucleotide class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 10,452 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 99.3% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Duchenne muscular dystrophy | 1,396 | 62.4% |
| Muscular dystrophy | 100 | 4.5% |
| Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene carrier | 2 | 0.1% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 2,237 reports.
Drugs most often listed in the same reports
| Drug (any role in the report) | Reports | Share of Exondys 51 reports |
|---|---|---|
| Lisinopril | 405 | 18.1% |
| Ergocalciferol | 311 | 13.9% |
| Prednisone | 271 | 12.1% |
| Emflaza | 262 | 11.7% |
| Carvedilol | 180 | 8% |
| Vitamin d | 128 | 5.7% |
| Cholecalciferol | 102 | 4.6% |
| Spironolactone | 97 | 4.3% |
| Eplerenone | 89 | 4% |
| MiraLAX | 86 | 3.8% |
Other products listed in reports where Exondys 51 is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.
In context
| Measure | Exondys 51 | Antisense oligonucleotide | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 2,237 | 10,452 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 21.4% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 458 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 17.1% | 39.7% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 24 | 79 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 126 | 253 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 17.5% | 48.8% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Product dose omission issue 30.5% | median 30.5% | 1.4% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the antisense oligonucleotide class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinraza | brand | 7,451 | 591 | 49% |
| Amondys 45 | brand | 764 | 174 | 15.3% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Exondys 51 reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Exondys 51?
2,237 reports list Exondys 51 as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 458 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 81 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Exondys 51 reports?
product dose omission issue (30.5%), no adverse event (24.6%), intentional dose omission (12.5%), poor venous access (8.3%) and device issue (8.1%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Exondys 51 was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
17.1% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 2.4% of reports include death and 12.6% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (72.5%), consumer or non-health professional (17.5%) and pharmacist (6%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Exondys 51 rising?
458 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, up 38% from 331 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Exondys 51 was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Exondys 51?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Exondys 51 as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (81) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.