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The effect of erythromycin on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin.

Author(s): Cooper KJ, Martin PD, Dane AL, Warwick MJ, Raza A, Schneck DW

Affiliation(s): AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, Mereside, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.

Publication date & source: 2003-05, Eur J Clin Pharmacol., 59(1):51-6. Epub 2003 Apr 1.

Publication type: Clinical Trial; Randomized Controlled Trial

RATIONALE OBJECTIVE: To examine in vivo the effect of erythromycin on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin [an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase]. Erythromycin is a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 that markedly increases circulating levels of some other HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. METHODS: In this randomised, double-blind, two-way cross-over, placebo-controlled trial 14 healthy volunteers were given 500 mg erythromycin or placebo four times daily for 7 days. A single dose of 80 mg rosuvastatin was co-administered on day 4 of dosing. Plasma concentrations of rosuvastatin and active and total HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors were measured up to 96 h after dosing. RESULTS: Eleven volunteers had data available from both dosing periods. There was no increase in rosuvastatin plasma exposure following co-administration with erythromycin compared to placebo. In fact, following co-administration with erythromycin, rosuvastatin geometric least square mean AUC((0-t)) and C(max) were 20% and 31%, respectively, lower than with placebo. Individual treatment ratios for AUC((0-t)) ranged from 0.48 to 1.17, and for C(max) ranged from 0.33 to 2.19. Essentially all of the circulating active HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and most (>94%) of the total inhibitors were accounted for by rosuvastatin. Erythromycin did not affect the proportion of circulating active or total inhibitors accounted for by circulating rosuvastatin. CONCLUSIONS: Erythromycin did not produce any increase in rosuvastatin plasma exposure. This indicates that CYP3A4 metabolism is not an important clearance mechanism for rosuvastatin, a result consistent with previous findings. The small decreases in rosuvastatin AUC((0-t)) and C(max) that occurred as a consequence of short-term treatment with erythromycin are unlikely to have relevance to long-term treatment with rosuvastatin.

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