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# ‘Big Data’ Project Yields Drug-Drug Problems
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/big-data-project-yields-drug-drug-problems/
- Published: 2016-02-11T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T02:35:17.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5134738

> The *Chicago Tribune* says it has been working with data scientists, pharmacologists, and cellular researchers at Columbia University Medical Center to determine if new mathematical analysis techniques could be used to find risky drug pairs. The initial results are positive, the newspaper says in a lengthy [report](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/druginteractions/ct-drug-interactions-signal-detection-met-20160209-story.html?ref=fdaweb.com).  
>  
> “The team has identified four drug combinations associated with a heart condition (QT prolongation) that can lead to a potentially fatal arrhythmia,” the article says. “The drugs included several widely prescribed medications, none of them linked to the cardiac condition on its own.”  
>  
> Columbia scientists used sophisticated algorithms to analyze the FDA MedWatch database for signs of the heart condition. They then used 380,000 electronic hospital patient files to confirm which drug pairs were associated with an increased risk. Next they turned to Columbia cellular researchers to test one of the drug combinations on individual cells.  
>  
> The tests showed that a combination of the antibiotic ceftriaxone (Rocephin) and the proton pump inhibitor lansoprazole (Prevacid) blocked an electrical channel crucial to the heart, providing a biological explanation for why the drugs might be interacting. (The other drug pair that the researchers are pursuing is the beta blocker metroprolol (Lopressor) teamed with the antidepressant fosphenytoin (Cerebyx).)  
>  
> “The investigation is believed to be the first time anyone has discovered a potential drug interaction by searching for signals in FDA’s complaint archive and then confirming the findings through patient records and cellular testing,” the report says. “The project is also noteworthy for how it mined the data: The team intentionally looked for evidence where none was visible.”  
>  
> To identify hidden interactions, the *Tribune* says, the scientists who worked with the newspaper analyzed indirect evidence — side effects associated with the dangerous heart condition. The researchers believed they could use the side effects to lead them to drug pairs that might be risky. It’s similar to the way astronomers infer the presence of black holes by observing their side effects, such as the gravitational pull on neighboring stars.”  
>  
> The scientists caution that their results are preliminary and that more research and potentially a clinical trial are needed. “But the project has demonstrated the potential of an innovative scientific model that offers a new way to protect patients and save lives,” the report says.  
>  
> The newspaper reports that FDA said it welcomed the data mining efforts and would review the findings. Drug companies whose products were implicated in the research said they had seen no evidence that their drugs caused such interactions.