Drug Interactions between dexamethasone / ketorolac / moxifloxacin and siponimod

MONITOR CLOSELY: Concomitant administration of corticosteroids may potentiate the risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture associated with fluoroquinolone treatment. The mechanism is unknown. Tendinitis and tendon rupture have most frequently involved the Achilles tendon, although cases involving the rotator cuff (the shoulder), the hand, the biceps, and the thumb have also been reported. Some have required surgical repair or resulted in prolonged disability. Tendon rupture can occur during or up to several months after completion of fluoroquinolone therapy.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is recommended if fluoroquinolones are prescribed in combination with corticosteroids, particularly in patients with other concomitant risk factors (e.g., age over 60 years; recipient of kidney, heart, and/or lung transplant). Patients should be advised to stop taking the fluoroquinolone, avoid exercise and use of the affected area, and promptly contact their physician if they experience pain, swelling, or inflammation of a tendon. In general, fluoroquinolones should only be used to treat conditions that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria and only if the benefits outweigh the risks.

GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration with drugs that cause moderate induction of CYP450 2C9 and strong induction of CYP450 3A4 may decrease the plasma concentrations of siponimod, which is primarily metabolized by these isoenzymes. This interaction includes concomitant use of siponimod with a moderate CYP450 2C9/strong CYP450 3A4 dual inducer or a moderate CYP450 2C9 inducer in combination with a separate strong CYP450 3A4 inducer. In CYP450 2C9*1/*1 genotype subjects, coadministration of a moderate CYP450 2C9/strong CYP450 3A4 dual inducer (rifampin 600 mg daily) and siponimod (2 mg daily) resulted in 57% and 45% decreases in siponimod steady-state AUC and Cmax, respectively. According to in silico (computer-based) evaluation, use of rifampin and efavirenz (moderate CYP450 3A4 inducer) resulted in decreases up to 78% and up to 52%, respectively, of siponimod steady-state AUC across CYP450 2C9 genotypes. The CYP450 2C9 genotype influences the fractional contributions of CYP450 2C9 and 3A4 to overall elimination. If the metabolic activity of CYP450 2C9 is decreased, a larger contribution of CYP450 3A4 can be anticipated.

MANAGEMENT: Concomitant use of siponimod and drugs that cause moderate induction of CYP450 2C9 and strong induction of CYP450 3A4 (e.g., carbamazepine, enzalutamide, rifampin) is not recommended for all patients. Concomitant use of siponimod and moderate or strong CYP450 3A4 inducers (e.g., apalutamide, bosentan, dabrafenib, dexamethasone, efavirenz, eslicarbazepine, etravirine, fosphenytoin, lorlatinib, lumacaftor, mitotane, modafinil, nafcillin, nevirapine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, primidone, rifabutin, rifapentine, sotorasib, St. John's wort) is not recommended for patients with CYP450 2C9*1/*3 and *2/*3 genotypes.

GENERALLY AVOID: Due to its significant bradycardic effects, the risk of QT prolongation and torsade de pointes arrhythmia may be increased during initiation of siponimod treatment in patients receiving drugs that prolong the QT interval. Siponimod can cause a decrease in heart rate during initiation of therapy that is apparent within an hour of the first dose, and the day 1 decline is maximal at approximately 3 to 4 hours. The maximal decrease in heart rate from baseline was seen between day 5 and 6. After day 6, heart rate starts increasing and reaches placebo levels within 10 days after treatment initiation. The highest daily postdose-dose decrease in absolute hourly mean heart rate is observed on day 1, with a decrease of 5 to 6 bpm. Following day 1, decreases in heart rate are less pronounced. Heart rates below 40 bpm were rarely observed. In controlled clinical trials, bradycardia (including sinus bradycardia and decreased heart rate) occurred in 6% of siponimod-treated patients compared to 3% of patients receiving placebo. Initiation of siponimod treatment has also resulted in transient AV conduction delays. First-degree AV block (prolonged PR interval on ECG) occurred in 5.1% of siponimod-treated patients and 1.9% of patients receiving placebo. Second-degree AV blocks, usually Mobitz type I (Wenckebach), have been observed at the time of siponimod initiation in less than 1.7% of patients. Bradycardia and conduction abnormalities were usually transient and asymptomatic, and resolved within the first 24 hours, but they occasionally required treatment with atropine. In a study evaluating the effect on QT interval of siponimod 2 or 10 mg at steady-state, siponimod treatment resulted in maximum prolongations of the QTc of 7.8 and 7.2 msec, respectively, with upper bounds of the 90% confidence interval of 9.93 and 9.72 msec, respectively. In general, the risk of an individual agent or a combination of agents causing ventricular arrhythmia in association with QT prolongation is largely unpredictable but may be increased by certain underlying risk factors such as congenital long QT syndrome, cardiac disease, and electrolyte disturbances (e.g., hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia). In addition, the extent of drug-induced QT prolongation is dependent on the particular drug(s) involved and dosage(s) of the drug(s).

MANAGEMENT: Siponimod has not been studied in patients receiving drugs that can prolong the QT interval. Because bradycardia and AV block are recognized risk factors for QT prolongation and torsade de pointes arrhythmia, treatment with siponimod should generally not be initiated in patients who are concurrently treated with QT prolonging drugs with known arrhythmogenic properties. Advice from a cardiologist should be sought if treatment with siponimod is considered in patients on concurrent therapy with QT prolonging drugs with a known risk of torsades de pointes or drugs that slow heart rate or AV conduction.

MONITOR: The combined use of corticosteroids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the potential for serious gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, including inflammation, bleeding, ulceration, and perforation. In a large, case-control study of elderly patients, those who used corticosteroids and NSAIDs concurrently had an estimated relative risk (RR) for peptic ulcer disease and GI hemorrhage of 14.6 compared to those who used neither. Corticosteroid use was associated with a doubling of the risk (estimated RR = 2.0), but the risk was confined to those who also used NSAIDs. It is possible that both categories of agents are ulcerogenic and have additive effects on the GI mucosa during coadministration. Some investigators have also suggested that the primary effect of corticosteroids in this interaction is to delay healing of erosions caused by NSAIDs rather than cause de novo ulcerations.

MANAGEMENT: Caution is advised if corticosteroids and NSAIDs are used together, especially in patients with a prior history of peptic ulcer disease or GI bleeding and in elderly and debilitated patients. During concomitant therapy, patients should be advised to take the medications with food and to immediately report signs and symptoms of GI ulceration and bleeding such as severe abdominal pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, and the appearance of black, tarry stools. The selective use of prophylactic anti-ulcer therapy (e.g., antacids, H2-antagonists) may be considered.

MONITOR: Coadministration with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may potentiate the risk of central nervous system toxicity sometimes associated with fluoroquinolone use. The interaction has been reported most often with enoxacin. It may occur with other fluoroquinolones as well, but is poorly documented. The exact mechanism of interaction is unknown. Some investigators suggest that the piperazine ring of fluoroquinolones may inhibit the binding of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to brain receptors and that NSAIDs may synergistically add to this effect. Patients with a history of seizures may be at greater risk.

MANAGEMENT: Clinical monitoring for signs of CNS stimulation such as tremors, involuntary muscle movements, hallucinations, or seizures is recommended if fluoroquinolone antibiotics are prescribed in combination with NSAIDs.