Drug Interaction Report

MONITOR: Coadministration with CYP450 3A4 inhibitors or dual CYP450 3A4/1A2 inhibitors may increase the systemic exposure (AUC) to roflumilast following topical administration. According to the prescribing information, N-oxidation of roflumilast by CYP450 3A4 and 1A2 is a major step in the metabolism of the drug. In vitro, roflumilast is 3 times more potent than its N-oxide metabolite at inhibition of the phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) enzyme, but on average, the roflumilast N-oxide AUC is approximately 8-fold greater than the parent drug AUC following IV or topical administration and about 10-fold greater following oral administration. In a pharmacokinetic study of 18 adults and 6 adolescents with plaque psoriasis and a mean body surface area involvement of 26.8% (adults) and 13.0% (adolescents), the mean AUC of roflumilast and roflumilast N-oxide following application of 3 to 6.5 g once daily for 15 days was 72.7 and 628 h*ng/mL, respectively, for adults and 25.1 and 140 h*ng/mL, respectively, for adolescents. Data regarding concomitant use of CYP450 3A4 or dual CYP450 3A4/1A2 inhibitors have been reported for oral roflumilast (500 mcg single dose). When coadministered with the potent CYP450 3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole (200 mg twice daily for 13 days), roflumilast peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and AUC increased by 23% and 99%, respectively, while roflumilast N-oxide Cmax decreased by 38% and AUC increased by 3%. When coadministered with erythromycin (500 mg three times daily for 13 days), a moderate CYP450 3A4 inhibitor, roflumilast Cmax and AUC increased by 40% and 70%, respectively, while roflumilast N-oxide Cmax decreased by 34% and AUC increased by 4%. When coadministered with the dual CYP450 3A4/1A2 inhibitors fluvoxamine (50 mg daily for 14 days) or cimetidine (400 mg twice daily for 7 days), roflumilast Cmax increased by 12% and 46% and its AUC increased by 156% and 85%, respectively, while the roflumilast N-oxide Cmax decreased by 210% and 4% and its AUC increased by 52% and 27%, respectively.

MANAGEMENT: Treatment with topical roflumilast should be re-evaluated if an interaction is suspected and persistent intolerability occurs. Patients should be advised to contact their physician if they experience increased frequency and/or severity of side effects such as diarrhea, headache, insomnia, nausea, upper respiratory tract infection, or urinary tract infection.

MONITOR: Coadministration with thiabendazole may increase the plasma concentrations of caffeine. The mechanism is thiabendazole inhibition of the CYP450 1A2 metabolism of caffeine. In ten healthy, nonsmoking volunteers, administration of a single 136.5 mg dose of caffeine in combination with a single 500 mg dose of thiabendazole resulted in a nearly 60% increase in the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of caffeine compared to administration without thiabendazole. In addition, the half-life of caffeine was increased from 11.9 to 28.6 hours, and oral clearance was reduced by 67% during coadministration with thiabendazole. The formation of paraxanthine from caffeine, which is primarily mediated by CYP450 1A2, was almost completely abolished until after the thiabendazole was cleared from the system.

MANAGEMENT: Patients should be advised that pharmacologic effects of caffeine may be increased during coadministration with thiabendazole.

MONITOR: Smoking cessation may lead to elevated plasma concentrations and enhanced pharmacologic effects of drugs that are substrates of CYP450 1A2 (and possibly CYP450 1A1) and/or certain drugs with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., flecainide, pentazocine). One proposed mechanism is related to the loss of CYP450 1A2 and 1A1 induction by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in tobacco smoke; when smoking cessation agents are initiated and smoking stops, the metabolism of certain drugs may decrease leading to increased plasma concentrations. The mechanism by which smoking cessation affects narrow therapeutic index drugs that are not known substrates of CYP450 1A2 or 1A1 is unknown. The clinical significance of this interaction is unknown as clinical data are lacking.

MANAGEMENT: Until more information is available, caution is advisable if smoking cessation agents are used concomitantly with drugs that are substrates of CYP450 1A2 or 1A1 and/or those with a narrow therapeutic range. Patients receiving smoking cessation agents may require periodic dose adjustments and closer clinical and laboratory monitoring of medications that are substrates of CYP450 1A2 or 1A1.