A drug-drug interaction study with letermovir and acyclovir in healthy participants

Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2023 May;89(5):1690-1694. doi: 10.1111/bcp.15648. Epub 2023 Jan 11.

Abstract

Letermovir inhibits renal tubular organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3) in vitro and is predicted to inhibit OAT3 in vivo. Acyclovir, a substrate for OAT3, is likely to be coadministered with letermovir; therefore, letermovir may increase acyclovir concentrations. A drug-drug interaction study was conducted in healthy participants (N = 16) to assess the effect of letermovir on acyclovir pharmacokinetics. On Day 1, participants received a single oral dose of 400 mg acyclovir; on Days 2-7, participants received oral doses of 480 mg letermovir once daily with a single oral dose of 400 mg acyclovir coadministered on Day 7. Coadministration with letermovir resulted in geometric mean ratios (90% confidence intervals) for acyclovir area under the concentration-time curve from administration to infinity and maximum plasma concentration of 1.02 (0.87-1.20) and 0.82 (0.71-0.93), respectively. No notable safety issues were reported. No clinically significant interaction was observed between letermovir and acyclovir in healthy participants and no dose adjustment is required for coadministration.

Keywords: drug interactions; drug transporters; infectious diseases; pharmacokinetics; virology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acyclovir* / adverse effects
  • Area Under Curve
  • Drug Interactions
  • Healthy Volunteers
  • Humans

Substances

  • Acyclovir
  • letermovir