BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- LIVALO (pitavastatin) may have the potential for fewer drug-drug interactions, versus other statins, as evidenced by a new study that evaluated the effects of itraconazole, an antifungal medication, on the pharmacokinetics of LIVALO in healthy volunteers. The data were presented by Kowa at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Many statins currently prescribed in the United States, such as atorvastatin and simvastatin, are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system, particularly through the 3A4 pathway. Strong inhibitors of this pathway, such as itraconazole and grapefruit juice, can influence drug exposure levels that may result in other clinical complications, such as hospitalizations due to severe muscle problems.(1)
"Many patients taking statins require additional medications to address other cardiovascular risk factors or comorbid diagnoses, which can result in drug-drug interactions and subsequent noncompliance," said Peter P. Toth, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Preventive Cardiology, Sterling Rock Falls Clinic, Ltd. "While statins are the mainstay of dyslipidemia management, there is still an unmet need among these patients who take multiple medications. These data suggest that LIVALO is a clinically effective and well-tolerated statin that has less potential for these types of interactions."