Pitolisant/Strong CYP3A4 Inducers that Prolong QT Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Your medicine may change the way your liver processes pitolisant. Your pitolisant can affect your heart's rhythm. Other drugs can have the same effect.
What might happen:
The amount of pitolisant may decrease and it may not work as well. Taking your pitolisant with other medicines that can affect your heart rhythm may increase your risk of irregular heartbeat, which may be life-threatening.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together.Your doctor may want to monitor a test called an electrocardiogram (ECG) while you are taking pitolisant to see if it is affecting your heart's rhythm. Let your doctor know right away if you notice an irregular heartbeat or have any dizziness or fainting episodes.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
- 1.Wakix (pitolisant) tablets US prescribing information. Harmony Biosciences August, 2019.
- 2.Wakix (pitolisant) UK Summary of Product Characteristics. Bioproject Pharma January, 2019.
- 3.Drew BJ, Ackerman MJ, Funk M, Gibler WB, Kligfield P, Menon V, Philippides GJ, Roden DM, Zareba W. Prevention of torsade de pointes in hospital settings: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology Foundation. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010 Mar 2;55(9):934-47.
- 4.This information is based on an extract from the Certara Drug Interaction Database (DIDB) Platform, Copyright Certara 1999-2023..
- 5.US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Drug Development and Drug Interactions: Table of Substrates, Inhibitors and Inducers. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-interactions-labeling/drug-development-and- drug-interactions-table-substrates-inhibitors-and-inducers. Updated 11/14/2017.
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