Drug Interactions between Abraxane and palbociclib

MONITOR: Coadministration with inhibitors of CYP450 3A4, such as grapefruit juice, may increase the plasma concentrations of paclitaxel, which is a substrate of the isoenzyme. Current data suggest that consumption of large quantities of grapefruit juice inhibit both intestinal and hepatic CYP450 3A4 due to certain compounds present in grapefruit. Specific data for paclitaxel are lacking; however, in a case report of a 52-year-old woman with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving a twice weekly chemotherapy regimen including intravenous docetaxel (40 mg/m2) reported that docetaxel systemic exposure (AUC) increased by 65% compared with the AUC target of 1.96 mg*h/L and clearance decreased by 63%, with a 71% reduction in the patient's neutrophil count. In the absence of other CYP450 3A4 inhibitors, these effects were attributed to daily consumption of 250 mL of grapefruit juice, which the patient had been consuming for at least 3 months. Two weeks after the patient ceased the grapefruit juice, the docetaxel AUC was closer to the target value and the neutrophil count reduction was less than 35%. In addition, in a pharmacokinetic study consisting of 7 cancer patients, mean dose-normalized docetaxel AUC increased by 2.2-fold and clearance decreased by 49% when intravenous docetaxel was given at a reduced dosage of 10 mg/m2 in combination with the potent CYP450 3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole (200 mg orally once daily for 3 days) compared to docetaxel administered alone at 100 mg/m2.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is recommended if paclitaxel is to be used in combination with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Patients should be closely monitored for the development of paclitaxel toxicity, including diarrhea, mucositis, myelosuppression, and peripheral neuropathy and dose adjustment considered per local treatment protocols.

GENERALLY AVOID: Grapefruit and/or grapefruit juice may increase the systemic exposure to palbociclib. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall by certain compounds present in grapefruit. Increased exposure to palbociclib may increase the risk of adverse effects such as infections, neutropenia, leukopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, alopecia, asthenia, peripheral neuropathy, and epistaxis.

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Food may enhance the oral bioavailability of palbociclib capsules and reduce the intersubject variability of palbociclib exposure. According to the product labeling, absorption and exposure of palbociclib from its oral capsule formulation were very low in approximately 13% of the population when taken in the fasted state. Food intake increased the palbociclib exposure in this small subset of the population but did not alter exposure in the rest of the population to a clinically relevant extent. Compared to palbociclib capsules given under overnight fasted conditions, the population average palbociclib peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUC) increased by 38% and 21%, respectively, when given with high-fat, high-calorie food (approximately 800 to 1000 calories; 150, 250, and 500 to 600 calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat, respectively); by 27% and 12%, respectively, when given with low-fat, low-calorie food (approximately 400 to 500 calories; 120, 250, and 28 to 35 calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat, respectively); and by 24% and 13%, respectively, when given with moderate-fat, standard calorie food (approximately 500 to 700 calories; 75 to 105, 250 to 350 and 175 to 245 calories from protein, carbohydrate and fat, respectively) one hour before and two hours after palbociclib capsule dosing.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should avoid consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice while on treatment with palbociclib. To avoid variability in drug absorption between doses, palbociclib capsules should be taken with food. Palbociclib tablet formulations may be taken with or without food.