Drug Interaction Report

MONITOR: Coadministration with bosentan may decrease the plasma concentrations of drugs that are substrates of the CYP450 2C9 and/or 3A4 isoenzymes. The mechanism is accelerated clearance due to induction of those isoenzymes by bosentan.

MANAGEMENT: When drugs that are known substrates of CYP450 2C9 and/or 3A4 are coadministered with bosentan, the possibility of a diminished therapeutic response to those drugs should be considered. Dosage adjustments as well as clinical and laboratory monitoring may be appropriate for some drugs, particularly those with a narrow therapeutic range, whenever bosentan is added to or withdrawn from therapy.

GENERALLY AVOID: In a small, randomized, crossover study, the administration of quinidine with grapefruit juice (compared to water) to healthy volunteers significantly prolonged the time to reach peak plasma quinidine concentrations and decreased the plasma concentrations of its major metabolite, 3-hydroxyquinidine. These changes were associated pharmacodynamically with both a delay and a reduction in the maximal effect on QTc interval. The proposed mechanism is delay of gastric emptying as well as inhibition of CYP450 3A4-mediated first-pass metabolism in the gut wall induced by certain compounds present in grapefruits.

MANAGEMENT: Given the drug's narrow therapeutic index, patients receiving quinidine therapy should avoid the consumption of grapefruits and grapefruit juice to prevent any undue fluctuations in plasma drug levels.