Concurrent clarithromycin and cyclosporin A treatment.
Although macrolides have been associated with significant pharmacokinetic interactions, clarithromycin is considered to have a low interaction capacity. In this study, six transplant recipients treated with cyclosporin A also received clarithromycin. In all patients, the dose of cyclosporin A had to be reduced by a mean of 33% per day depending on the macrolide dose. Normalization of the dosage parameters began on the fourth day after stopping clarithromycin treatment. Co-administration of cyclosporin A and clarithromycin may lead to increases in whole blood cyclosporin levels, and appropriate dose reductions should be considered.
Sádaba
B
B
Clinical Pharmacology Department, University Clinic of Navarra School of Medicine, Pamplona, Spain. bsadaba@unav.es
López de Ocáriz
A
A
Azanza
J R
JR
Quiroga
J
J
Cienfuegos
J A
JA
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D016031:Liver Transplantation
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D017291:Clarithromycin