Drug Interactions between Metoprolol Tartrate and ubrogepant

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: The bioavailability of metoprolol may be enhanced by food.

MANAGEMENT: Patients may be instructed to take metoprolol at the same time each day, preferably with or immediately following meals.

ADJUST DOSE: Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may increase the plasma concentrations of ubrogepant. The proposed mechanism is inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall by certain compounds present in grapefruit. Inhibition of hepatic CYP450 3A4 may also contribute. The interaction has not been studied with grapefruit but has been reported for other CYP450 3A4 inhibitors. When ubrogepant was administered with the potent CYP450 3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole during in vivo studies, ubrogepant peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUC) increased by 5.3- and 9.7-fold, respectively. When administered with the moderate CYP450 3A4 inhibitor verapamil, ubrogepant Cmax and AUC increased by 2.8- and 3.5-fold, respectively. 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.

When administered with a high-fat meal, ubrogepant time to maximum plasma concentration (Tmax) was delayed by 2 hours, which resulted in a 22% decrease in Cmax and no change in AUC. Ubrogepant was administered without regard to food in clinical efficacy studies.

MANAGEMENT: Ubrogepant may be administered with or without food. When coadministered with grapefruit or grapefruit juice, the manufacturer recommends an initial ubrogepant dose of 50 mg. A second dose, if needed, should not be administered within 24 hours of the initial dose.

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Concurrent administration with calcium salts may decrease the oral bioavailability of atenolol and possibly other beta-blockers. The exact mechanism of interaction is unknown. In six healthy subjects, calcium 500 mg (as lactate, carbonate, and gluconate) reduced the mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of atenolol (100 mg) by 51% and 32%, respectively. The elimination half-life increased by 44%. Twelve hours after the combination, beta-blocking activity (as indicated by inhibition of exercise tachycardia) was reduced compared to that with atenolol alone. However, during a 4-week treatment in six hypertensive patients, there was no difference in blood pressure values between treatments. The investigators suggest that prolongation of the elimination half-life induced by calcium coadministration may have led to atenolol cumulation during long-term dosing, which compensated for the reduced bioavailability.

MANAGEMENT: It may help to separate the administration times of beta-blockers and calcium products by at least 2 hours. Patients should be monitored for potentially diminished beta-blocking effects following the addition of calcium therapy.