Interactions Among Drugs for HIV & Opportunistic Infections
The New England Journal of Medicine Drug Therapy Metabolic Interactions All HIV-protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside re- verse-transcriptase inhibitors that have been approved A LASTAIR J.J. WOOD, M.D., Editor by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as those that are investigational drugs, are metabolized INTERACTIONS AMONG DRUGS by the cytochrome P-450 enzyme system, primarily FOR HIV AND OPPORTUNISTIC by the 3A4 isoform (CYP3A4), and each of these drugs may alter the metabolism of other antiretroviral INFECTIONS and concomitantly administered drugs.15 The cyto- chrome P-450 system consists of at least 11 families of STEPHEN C. PISCITELLI, PHARM.D., enzymes, classified by number, of which 3 (CYP1, AND KEITH D. GALLICANO, PH.D. CYP2, and CYP3) are important in humans.16 The RUG interactions are an important factor in families are further divided into subfamilies, denoted the treatment of patients with human im- by a capital letter (e.g., CYP3A). Individual proteins munodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The within a subfamily, called isozymes or isoenzymes, are D 16 complexity of current drug regimens for such pa- identified by a second number (e.g., CYP3A4). tients requires that clinicians recognize and manage Drugs can be classified as cytochrome P-450 sub- drug interactions. Antiretroviral drug regimens typ- strates, inhibitors, or inducers. However, some drugs, ically consist of three or four antiretroviral drugs but such as ritonavir, nelfinavir, and efavirenz, may have may include even more. In addition, patients may re- properties of all three, depending on the specific com- ceive other drugs for supportive care, treatment of op- bination (Table 2).
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