Abilify Maintena Drug Interactions

No specific interaction studies have been performed with Abilify Maintena. The information as follows is obtained from studies with oral aripiprazole.
Due to its α1-adrenergic receptor antagonism, aripiprazole has the potential to enhance the effect of certain antihypertensive medicinal products.
Given the primary CNS effects of aripiprazole, caution should be used when aripiprazole is administered in combination with alcohol or other CNS medicinal products with overlapping adverse reactions such as sedation (see Adverse Reactions).
If aripiprazole is administered concomitantly with medicinal products known to cause QT prolongation or electrolyte imbalance, caution should be used.
Potential for other medicinal products to affect Abilify Maintena: Aripiprazole is metabolised by multiple pathways involving the CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 enzymes, but not CYP1A enzymes. Thus, no dosage adjustment is required for smokers.
Quinidine and other strong CYP2D6 inhibitors: In a clinical trial of oral aripiprazole in healthy subjects, a strong inhibitor of CYP2D6 (quinidine) increased aripiprazole AUC by 107 %, while C_max was unchanged. The AUC and C_max of dehydro-aripiprazole, the active metabolite, decreased by 32 % and 47 %, respectively. Other strong inhibitors of CYP2D6, such as fluoxetine and paroxetine, may be expected to have similar effects and similar dose reduction should, therefore, be applied (see Dosage & Administration).
Concomitant use of Abilify Maintena with quinidine or other CYP2D6 inhibitors increases the concentrations of aripiprazole after longer-term use (i.e., over 14 days) and reduction of the Abilify Maintena is recommended.
Ketoconazole and other strong CYP3A4 inhibitors: In a clinical trial of oral aripiprazole in healthy subjects, a strong inhibitor of CYP3A4 (ketoconazole) increased aripiprazole AUC and C_max by 63 % and 37 %, respectively. The AUC and C_max of dehydro-aripiprazole increased by 77 % and 43 %, respectively. In CYP2D6 poor metabolisers, concomitant use of strong inhibitors of CYP3A4 may result in higher plasma concentrations of aripiprazole compared to that in CYP2D6 extensive metabolisers (see Dosage & Administration).
When considering concomitant administration of ketoconazole or other potent CYP3A4 inhibitors with aripiprazole, potential benefits should outweigh the potential risks to the patient. Other strong inhibitors of CYP3A4, such as itraconazole and HIV protease inhibitors may be expected to have similar effects and similar dose reductions should, therefore, be applied (see Dosage & Administration).
Upon discontinuation of the CYP2D6 or CYP3A4 inhibitor, the dosage of Abilify Maintena should be increased to the dose prior to the initiation of the concomitant therapy. When weak inhibitors of CYP3A4 (e.g., diltiazem) or CYP2D6 (e.g., escitalopram) are used concomitantly with this medicinal product, modest increases in plasma aripiprazole concentrations may be expected.
Concomitant use of Abilify Maintena with ketoconazole or other CYP3A4 inhibitors for more than 14 days increases the concentrations of aripiprazole and reduction of the Abilify Maintena dose is recommended.
Carbamazepine and other CYP3A4 inducers: Following concomitant administration of carbamazepine, a strong inducer of CYP3A4, and oral aripiprazole to patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, the geometric means of C_max and AUC for aripiprazole were 68 % and 73 % lower, respectively, compared to when oral aripiprazole (30 mg) was administered alone. Similarly, for dehydro-aripiprazole the geometric means of C_max and AUC after carbamazepine co-administration were 69 % and 71 % lower, respectively, than those following treatment with oral aripiprazole alone.
Concomitant administration of Abilify Maintena and other inducers of CYP3A4 (such as rifampicin, rifabutin, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, efavirenz, nevirapine and St. John's Wort) may be expected to have similar effects. The concomitant use of CYP3A4 inducers with Abilify Maintena should be avoided because the blood levels of aripiprazole are decreased and may be below the effective levels.
Valproate and lithium: When either valproate or lithium was administered concomitantly with aripiprazole, there was no clinically significant change in aripiprazole concentrations, and, therefore, no dose adjustment is necessary when either valproate or lithium is administered with Abilify Maintena.
Potential for Abilify Maintena to affect other medicinal products: In clinical studies, oral doses of 10-30 mg/day of aripiprazole had no significant effect on the metabolism of substrates of CYP2D6 (dextromethorphan/3-methoxymorphinan ratio), 2C9 (warfarin), 2C19 (omeprazole), and 3A4 (dextromethorphan). Additionally, aripiprazole and dehydro-aripiprazole did not show potential for altering CYP1A2-mediated metabolism in vitro. Thus, Abilify Maintena is unlikely to cause clinically important medicinal product interactions mediated by these enzymes.
When aripiprazole was administered concomitantly with lamotrigine, dextromethorphan, warfarin, omeprazole, escitalopram, or venlafaxine there was no clinically important change in concentrations of these medicinal products. Thus, no dosage adjustment of these medicinal products is required when co-administered with Abilify Maintena.
Serotonin syndrome: Cases of serotonin syndrome have been reported in patients taking aripiprazole, and possible signs and symptoms for this condition can occur especially in cases of concomitant use with other serotonergic medicinal products, such as SSRI/SNRI, or with medicinal products that are known to increase aripiprazole concentrations (see Adverse Reactions).