Drug Interaction Report

GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration with potent inducers of CYP450 3A4 may significantly decrease the plasma concentrations of macitentan, which is primarily metabolized by the isoenzyme. In ten healthy male subjects pretreated with macitentan (30 mg initially, followed by 10 mg once daily) for 5 days, coadministration with the potent CYP450 3A4 inducer rifampin (600 mg once daily) on days 6 through 12 reduced macitentan systemic exposure (AUC) by 79% and trough plasma concentration (Cmin) by 93% compared to macitentan administered alone. An initial increase in the Cmin of the active metabolite of macitentan was observed following the addition of rifampin on day 6, but a gradual decrease occurred with continued dosing, resulting in concentrations on day 12 that were similar to those observed with macitentan alone. There was also no significant effect of rifampin on the AUC of the active metabolite, which has been reported to be approximately 5-fold less potent than macitentan in vitro, but whose systemic exposure in human is 2.5-fold higher than that of macitentan.

MANAGEMENT: Concomitant use of macitentan with potent CYP450 3A4 inducers should generally be avoided.

GENERALLY AVOID: Concurrent use of rifampin in patients who ingest alcohol daily may result in an increased incidence of hepatotoxicity. The increase in hepatotoxicity may be due to an additive risk as both alcohol and rifampin are individually associated with this adverse reaction. However, the exact mechanism has not been established.

ADJUST DOSING INTERVAL: Administration with food may reduce oral rifampin absorption, increasing the risk of therapeutic failure or resistance. In a randomized, four-period crossover phase I study of 14 healthy male and female volunteers, the pharmacokinetics of single dose rifampin 600 mg were evaluated under fasting conditions and with a high-fat meal. Researchers observed that administration of rifampin with a high-fat meal reduced rifampin peak plasma concentration (Cmax) by 36%, nearly doubled the time to reach peak plasma concentration (Tmax) but reduced overall exposure (AUC) by only 6%.

MANAGEMENT: The manufacturer of oral forms of rifampin recommends administration on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before or 2 hours after meals. Patients should be encouraged to avoid alcohol or strictly limit their intake. Patients who use alcohol and rifampin concurrently or have a history of alcohol use disorder may require additional monitoring of their liver function during treatment with rifampin.