Drug side effects
ustekinumab Side Effects
The reactions most often reported to the FDA for ustekinumab (also sold as Stelara), with demographics, serious outcomes, and reporting trends.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 98,899
- FAERS reports
Data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), 2009 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 ustekinumab come from 98,899 reports to the FDA, broken down here by frequency, patient demographics, and serious outcomes.
This page analyzes 98,899 reports to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for ustekinumab (Stelara): 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
98,899
Reports Mentioning Death
5,465
5.5% of reports — not proof the medicine caused the death
Hospitalizations
21,428
21.7% of reports
Top Indication
Psoriasis
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 5,465 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS | 1,672 |
| WOUND | 1,660 |
| SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS | 1,649 |
| GLOSSODYNIA | 1,642 |
| HAND DEFORMITY | 1,629 |
| JOINT SWELLING | 1,626 |
| INFUSION RELATED REACTION | 1,624 |
| SYNOVITIS | 1,618 |
| GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION | 1,616 |
| RASH | 1,591 |
| RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 1,591 |
| FATIGUE | 1,585 |
| HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED | 1,585 |
| HYPOAESTHESIA | 1,583 |
| FIBROMYALGIA | 1,573 |
| HYPERTENSION | 1,565 |
| HELICOBACTER INFECTION | 1,551 |
| SWELLING | 1,550 |
| PSORIATIC ARTHROPATHY | 1,549 |
| DUODENAL ULCER PERFORATION | 1,532 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 21,428 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| FATIGUE | 2,702 |
| PAIN | 2,508 |
| RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS | 2,459 |
| ARTHRALGIA | 2,412 |
| RASH | 2,403 |
| INFUSION RELATED REACTION | 2,313 |
| SYNOVITIS | 2,297 |
| JOINT SWELLING | 2,251 |
| PNEUMONIA | 2,223 |
| HEADACHE | 2,217 |
| GENERAL PHYSICAL HEALTH DETERIORATION | 2,212 |
| HEPATIC ENZYME INCREASED | 2,196 |
| DIARRHOEA | 2,194 |
| CONDITION AGGRAVATED | 2,192 |
| HYPERSENSITIVITY | 2,144 |
| CROHN^S DISEASE | 2,132 |
| VOMITING | 2,118 |
| SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS | 2,108 |
Nearby, Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About ustekinumab Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 98,899 voluntary reports linked to ustekinumab and its brand equivalents (Stelara), spanning 2009 through 2025. Of those, 5,465 (5.5%) listed death as an outcome and 21,428 (21.7%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Psoriasis.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 60% were female and 40% male; age distribution skews toward 18-44, with 21,364 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is fatigue with 6,589 submissions, followed by psoriasis and pain.
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.
Drugs With a Similar FAERS Report Volume
Other medications with a total FDA adverse-event report count closest to ustekinumab's 98,899.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.