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Drug side effects

golimumab Side Effects

The reactions most often reported to the FDA for golimumab (also sold as Simponi), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.

Data updated 2026-05-15

82,622
FAERS reports

Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2006 to 2025. A FAERS report records a temporal association, not proof of cause. See our methodology for how figures are compiled and de-duplicated.

The most commonly reported side effects of golimumab come from 82,622 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.

This page analyzes 82,622 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for golimumab (Simponi): the reactions reported most often, who reported them, serious outcomes such as hospitalization, and year-over-year trends. A FAERS report does not prove the drug caused the effect, and report volume tracks how widely a drug is used, not how likely an effect is for any one person. Educational information, not medical advice.

Total Reports

82,622

Reports Mentioning Death

5,919

7.2% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death

Hospitalizations

19,695

23.8% of reports

Top Indication

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Most Reported Adverse Reactions

RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS
14,100
PAIN
13,403
FATIGUE
11,277
JOINT SWELLING
9,729
ARTHRALGIA
9,679
RASH
9,305
ALOPECIA
9,271
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT
8,672
SWELLING
8,472
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS
8,329
CONTRAINDICATED PRODUCT ADMINISTERED
8,257
PEMPHIGUS
8,083
GLOSSODYNIA
7,911
ARTHROPATHY
7,632
HYPERSENSITIVITY
7,426
SYNOVITIS
7,186
HAND DEFORMITY
6,927

Who Reports Side Effects

Gender Distribution

Female 55,570 (77%)
Male 16,936 (23%)
Unknown 114

Age Distribution

0-17 1,951 (4%)
18-44 14,314 (29%)
45-64 20,890 (42%)
65-74 8,313 (17%)
75+ 3,983 (8%)

Reporting Trend by Year

2006 2025

Reactions in Death Reports

Top reactions reported in 5,919 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.

Reaction Reports
GLOSSODYNIA 1,922
WOUND 1,909
RASH 1,889
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 1,889
TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS 1,882
HAND DEFORMITY 1,878
JOINT SWELLING 1,876
SYNOVITIS 1,875
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 1,866
INFUSION RELATED REACTION 1,864
GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION 1,853
FATIGUE 1,820
PSORIATIC ARTHROPATHY 1,797
SWELLING 1,793
HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED 1,788
HYPERTENSION 1,780
FIBROMYALGIA 1,777
HYPOAESTHESIA 1,773
PAIN 1,735

Reactions in Hospitalization Reports

Top reactions in 19,695 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.

Reaction Reports
RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS 3,963
ARTHRALGIA 3,579
PAIN 3,569
JOINT SWELLING 3,363
FATIGUE 3,259
RASH 3,210
SYNOVITIS 3,089
HYPERSENSITIVITY 2,988
PNEUMONIA 2,945
ARTHROPATHY 2,920
ALOPECIA 2,858
SWELLING 2,815
ABDOMINAL DISCOMFORT 2,805
INFECTION 2,803
INFUSION RELATED REACTION 2,791
CONDITION AGGRAVATED 2,764
SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS 2,724

Compare golimumab vs abatacept →

What the FAERS Data Reveals About golimumab Side Effects

The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 82,622 voluntary reports linked to golimumab and its brand equivalents (Simponi), spanning 2006 through 2025. Of those, 5,919 (7.2%) listed death as an outcome and 19,695 (23.8%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 77% were female and 23% male; age distribution skews toward 45-64, with 20,890 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is rheumatoid arthritis with 14,100 submissions, followed by pain and fatigue.

How to read these numbers

FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice, speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.