Skip to main content

Drug Interactions between Alecensa and sunitinib

This report displays the potential drug interactions for the following 2 drugs:

Edit list (add/remove drugs)

Interactions between your drugs

Moderate

SUNItinib alectinib

Applies to: sunitinib and Alecensa (alectinib)

MONITOR: Coadministration of alectinib with other agents that can slow the heart rate may increase the risk of bradycardia. In clinical trials, 7.5% of patients developed bradycardia during treatment with alectinib. Twenty percent of 221 patients for whom serial electrocardiograms were available had heart rates of less than 50 beats per minute (bpm).

MANAGEMENT: Caution is advised when alectinib is prescribed with other drugs that can cause bradycardia (e.g., beta-blockers; calcium channel blockers; digitalis; dolasetron; flecainide; ivabradine; lacosamide; mefloquine; moricizine; propafenone; quinine; succinylcholine; sunitinib; thalidomide; anticholinesterase or cholinergic agents; protease inhibitors such as atazanavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, and saquinavir/ritonavir). Heart rate and blood pressure should be monitored regularly, and patients should be counseled to seek medical attention if they experience dizziness, lightheadedness, fainting, or irregular heartbeat. Dosage modification of alectinib is not required in cases of asymptomatic bradycardia. However, if symptomatic bradycardia occurs, the manufacturer recommends withholding alectinib until recovery to asymptomatic bradycardia or to a heart rate of >=60 bpm. Evaluate concomitant medications known to cause bradycardia and all antihypertensive medications, then consider dosage adjustments or discontinuation of concomitant medication(s) or alectinib in accordance with the product labeling.

References

  1. (2015) "Product Information. Alecensa (alectinib)." Genentech

Switch to consumer interaction data

Drug and food interactions

Moderate

SUNItinib food

Applies to: sunitinib

GENERALLY AVOID: Consumption of grapefruit or grapefruit juice during sunitinib therapy may increase the plasma concentrations of sunitinib. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated metabolism by certain compounds present in grapefruit.

MANAGEMENT: Although clinical data are lacking, it may be advisable to avoid the consumption of large amounts of grapefruit or grapefruit juice during sunitinib therapy.

References

  1. (2006) "Product Information. Sutent (sunitinib)." Pfizer U.S. Pharmaceuticals Group

Switch to consumer interaction data

Moderate

alectinib food

Applies to: Alecensa (alectinib)

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Food significantly enhances the oral bioavailability of alectinib and its major active metabolite, M4. According to the manufacturer, a high-fat, high-calorie meal increased the combined systemic exposure (AUC) of alectinib and M4 by 3.1-fold following oral administration of a single 600 mg dose of alectinib.

MANAGEMENT: To ensure maximal oral absorption, alectinib should be administered with food.

References

  1. (2015) "Product Information. Alecensa (alectinib)." Genentech

Switch to consumer interaction data

Therapeutic duplication warnings

Therapeutic duplication is the use of more than one medicine from the same drug category or therapeutic class to treat the same condition. This can be intentional in cases where drugs with similar actions are used together for demonstrated therapeutic benefit. It can also be unintentional in cases where a patient has been treated by more than one doctor, or had prescriptions filled at more than one pharmacy, and can have potentially adverse consequences.

Duplication

Multikinase inhibitors

Therapeutic duplication

The recommended maximum number of medicines in the 'multikinase inhibitors' category to be taken concurrently is usually one. Your list includes two medicines belonging to the 'multikinase inhibitors' category:

  • Alecensa (alectinib)
  • sunitinib

Note: In certain circumstances, the benefits of taking this combination of drugs may outweigh any risks. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your medications or dosage.

See also

Report options

Loading...
QR code containing a link to this page

Drug Interaction Classification

These classifications are only a guideline. The relevance of a particular drug interaction to a specific individual is difficult to determine. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any medication.
Major Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit.
Moderate Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances.
Minor Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.
Unknown No interaction information available.

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer