Drug Interactions between lomitapide and rimegepant

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Administration of lomitapide with food may increase the risk of common gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dyspepsia, abdominal pain or discomfort, abdominal distension, constipation, and flatulence. Absorption of concomitant oral medications may be affected in patients who develop diarrhea or vomiting.

GENERALLY AVOID: Grapefruit juice may significantly increase the plasma concentrations of lomitapide. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall by certain compounds present in grapefruit. Weak CYP450 3A4 inhibitors can increase lomitapide exposure (AUC) by approximately 2-fold according to the product labeling. Ketoconazole, a potent CYP450 3A4 inhibitor, has been shown to increase lomitapide AUC by 27-fold .

GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration with alcohol may increase the risk of hepatotoxicity associated with the use of lomitapide. In a premarketing clinical trial, 34% (10/29) of patients treated with lomitapide had at least one elevation in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 3 times the upper limit of normal (ULN) or greater, and 14% (4/29) had at least one elevation in ALT or AST 5 times ULN or greater. There were no concomitant clinically meaningful elevations of total bilirubin, international normalized ratio (INR), or alkaline phosphatase. Lomitapide also increases hepatic fat, with or without concomitant increases in transaminases. In the same study, the median absolute increase in hepatic fat was 6% after both 26 and 78 weeks of treatment, from 1% at baseline, measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hepatic steatosis associated with lomitapide may be a risk factor for progressive liver disease, including steatohepatitis and cirrhosis. Clinical data suggest that hepatic fat accumulation is reversible after stopping treatment with lomitapide, although the long-term consequences are unknown.

MANAGEMENT: Lomitapide should be taken once daily with a glass of water, without food, at least 2 hours after the evening meal. Strict adherence to a low-fat diet (<20% of total calories from fat) and gradual dosage titration may also help to reduce gastrointestinal intolerance. Patients should avoid consumption of grapefruit, grapefruit juice, and any supplement containing grapefruit extract during treatment with lomitapide. Since alcohol may increase levels of hepatic fat and induce or exacerbate liver injury, the manufacturer recommends that patients taking lomitapide not consume more than one alcoholic drink per day.

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Coadministration with grapefruit or grapefruit juice may increase the plasma concentrations of rimegepant. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall induced by certain compounds present in grapefruit. Concomitant administration of a single dose of rimegepant (75 mg) with itraconazole, a strong CYP450 3A4 inhibitor, at steady state increased the systemic exposure (AUC) and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of rimegepant by 4-fold and approximately 1.5-fold, respectively. The manufacturer also states that concomitant administration of rimegepant with a moderate CYP450 3A4 inhibitor may increase rimegepant AUC by less than 2-fold. Because grapefruit juice inhibits primarily intestinal rather than hepatic CYP450 3A4, the magnitude of interaction is greatest for those drugs that undergo significant presystemic metabolism by CYP450 3A4 (i.e., drugs with low oral bioavailability). In general, the effect of grapefruit juice is concentration-, dose- and preparation-dependent, and can vary widely among brands. Certain preparations of grapefruit juice (e.g., high dose, double strength) have sometimes demonstrated potent inhibition of CYP450 3A4, while other preparations (e.g., low dose, single strength) have typically demonstrated moderate inhibition. Pharmacokinetic interactions involving grapefruit juice are also subject to a high degree of interpatient variability, thus the extent to which a given patient may be affected is difficult to predict.

MONITOR: When administered with a high-fat meal under fed condition, Tmax was delayed by 1 hour, which resulted in a 42% to 53% reduction in Cmax and a 32% to 38% reduction in AUC. However, the impact of this reduction on rimegepant efficacy remains unknown.

MANAGEMENT: Rimegepant may be administered with or without food. Until more information is available, patients receiving rimegepant may want to avoid the regular consumption of grapefruits and grapefruit juice to prevent undue increases in plasma levels and systemic effects of rimegepant. If grapefruit or grapefruit juice is consumed concomitantly with rimegepant, the manufacturer recommends avoiding another dose of rimegepant within 48 hours.