Drug Interactions between clindamycin and ombitasvir / paritaprevir / ritonavir

Ritonavir should be taken with food to lessen gastrointestinal side effects. It is important that you take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Do not change your treatment or stop treatment without first talking to your doctor.

Food significantly increases the absorption of paritaprevir. You should take each dose of paritaprevir with a meal. Taking it on an empty stomach may lead to inadequate blood levels and reduced effectiveness of the medication.

Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), formerly pseudomembranous colitis, has been reported with almost all antibacterial drugs and may range from mild diarrhea to fatal colitis. The most common culprits include clindamycin and lincomycin. Antibacterial therapy alters the normal flora of the colon, leading to overgrowth of C difficile, whose toxins A and B contribute to CDAD development. Morbidity and mortality are increased with hypertoxin-producing strains of C difficile; these infections can be resistant to antimicrobial therapy and may require colectomy. CDAD must be considered in all patients who present with diarrhea after antibacterial use. Since CDAD has been reported to occur more than 2 months after antibacterial use, careful medical history is necessary. Therapy with broad-spectrum antibacterials and other agents with significant antibacterial activity should be administered cautiously in patients with history of gastrointestinal disease, particularly colitis; pseudomembranous colitis (generally characterized by severe, persistent diarrhea and severe abdominal cramps, and sometimes associated with the passage of blood and mucus), if it occurs, may be more severe in these patients and may be associated with flares in underlying disease activity. Antibacterial drugs not directed against C difficile may need to be stopped if CDAD is suspected or confirmed. Appropriate fluid and electrolyte management, protein supplementation, antibacterial treatment of C difficile, and surgical evaluation should be started as clinically indicated.

HBV reactivation has been reported during or after completion of HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy in HCV/HBV-coinfected patients who were not receiving HBV antiviral therapy; some cases resulted in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure, and death. Cases have been reported in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients and patients with serologic evidence of resolved HBV infection (i.e., HBsAg negative and hepatitis B core antibody [anti-HBc] positive). HBV reactivation has also been reported in patients using certain immunosuppressant or chemotherapeutic agents; risk of HBV reactivation associated with HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy may be increased in these patients. All patients should be tested for evidence of current or prior HBV infection by measuring HBsAg and anti-HBc before starting HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy. Patients with serologic evidence of current or prior HBV infection should be monitored for clinical and laboratory signs of hepatitis flare or HBV reactivation during HCV therapy and posttherapy follow-up; appropriate patient management for HBV infection should be started as clinically indicated.

HBV reactivation has been reported during or after completion of HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy in HCV/HBV-coinfected patients who were not receiving HBV antiviral therapy; some cases resulted in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure, and death. Cases have been reported in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients and patients with serologic evidence of resolved HBV infection (i.e., HBsAg negative and hepatitis B core antibody [anti-HBc] positive). HBV reactivation has also been reported in patients using certain immunosuppressant or chemotherapeutic agents; risk of HBV reactivation associated with HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy may be increased in these patients. All patients should be tested for evidence of current or prior HBV infection by measuring HBsAg and anti-HBc before starting HCV direct-acting antiviral therapy. Patients with serologic evidence of current or prior HBV infection should be monitored for clinical and laboratory signs of hepatitis flare or HBV reactivation during HCV therapy and posttherapy follow-up; appropriate patient management for HBV infection should be started as clinically indicated.

The use of drugs containing paritaprevir in combination with ombitasvir and ritonavir is contraindicated in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh B and C). No dosage adjustment is required in patients with mild hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A).

Parenteral medications formulated in multidose vials often contain benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Their use is considered by drug manufacturers to be contraindicated in neonates, particularly premature infants and infants of low birth weight. When used in bacteriostatic saline intravascular flush and endotracheal tube lavage solutions, benzyl alcohol has been associated with fatalities and severe respiratory and metabolic complications in low-birth-weight premature infants. Thus, single-dose formulations should always be used in infants whenever possible. However, many experts feel that, in the absence of benzyl alcohol-free equivalents, the amount of the preservative present in these formulations should not necessarily preclude their use if they are clearly indicated. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers benzyl alcohol in low doses (such as when used as a preservative in some medications) to be safe for newborns. However, the administration of high dosages of these medications must take into account the total amount of benzyl alcohol administered. The level at which toxicity may occur is unknown.

New onset diabetes mellitus, exacerbation of preexisting diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, and some cases of diabetic ketoacidosis have been reported during postmarketing surveillance in HIV-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors. Some patients required either initiation or dosage adjustments of insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents for treatment of these events. In some cases, hyperglycemia persisted despite discontinuation of protease inhibitor therapy. A causal relationship has not been established between protease inhibitor therapy and these events. Monitoring patients for hyperglycemia, new onset diabetes mellitus, or exacerbation of diabetes mellitus should be considered during protease inhibitor therapy.

There have been reports of increased bleeding, including spontaneous skin hematomas and hemarthrosis, in patients with hemophilia type A and B treated with protease inhibitors; however, a causal relationship has not been established. In some patients, additional factor VIII was given. In more than half of the reported cases, protease inhibitor therapy was continued or reintroduced. Patients with hemophilia or other coagulation defects should be monitored closely for bleeding during protease inhibitor therapy.

New onset diabetes mellitus, exacerbation of preexisting diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, and some cases of diabetic ketoacidosis have been reported during postmarketing surveillance in HIV-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors. Some patients required either initiation or dosage adjustments of insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents for treatment of these events. In some cases, hyperglycemia persisted despite discontinuation of protease inhibitor therapy. A causal relationship has not been established between protease inhibitor therapy and these events. Monitoring patients for hyperglycemia, new onset diabetes mellitus, or exacerbation of diabetes mellitus should be considered during protease inhibitor therapy.

Ritonavir may prolong the PR interval in some patients. Postmarketing cases of second or third degree atrioventricular block have been reported. Ritonavir should be administered with caution in patients with underlying structural heart disease, preexisting conduction abnormalities, ischemic heart disease, and cardiomyopathies as these patients might be at increased risk for developing cardiac conduction abnormalities.

Treatment with ritonavir alone or in combination with other protease inhibitors (e.g., lopinavir, saquinavir, tipranavir, fosamprenavir) has resulted in substantial increases in the concentration of total cholesterol and triglycerides. These effects have also been reported with other protease inhibitors but may be the most dramatic with ritonavir. The clinical significance of these elevations is unclear. Marked elevation in triglyceride levels is a risk factor for development of pancreatitis. Triglyceride and cholesterol testing is recommended before starting ritonavir (with or without other protease inhibitors) and periodically during therapy. Lipid disorders should be managed as clinically appropriate.

Clindamycin is primarily metabolized by the liver. The serum concentration of clindamycin may be increased and the half-life prolonged in patients with severely impaired hepatic function. In addition, jaundice and liver enzyme abnormalities may occur during use of the drug. Therapy with clindamycin should be administered cautiously in patients with liver disease. Dosage adjustments may not be necessary when administered every 8 hours. However, serum concentrations should be monitored during high-dose therapy, and periodic liver function tests should be performed during prolonged therapy.

Hepatotoxicity (including jaundice, clinical hepatitis, and hepatic transaminase elevations exceeding 5 times the upper limit of normal) has been reported in patients receiving ritonavir alone or in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. Ritonavir should be administered with caution in patients with preexisting liver diseases, liver enzyme abnormalities, or hepatitis; increased monitoring of AST/ALT should be considered in these patients, especially during the first 3 months of ritonavir therapy. Ritonavir is not recommended for use in patients with severe liver dysfunction.

Clindamycin is eliminated by the kidney to a limited extent. Therapy with clindamycin should be administered cautiously in patients with severely impaired renal function. Dosage adjustments are probably not necessary. However, serum clindamycin concentrations should be monitored during high-dose therapy, and periodic renal function tests should be performed during prolonged therapy.