Mycophenolate/Rifampin
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:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Rifampin may speed up how quickly your liver processes mycophenolate.
What might happen:
The amount of mycophenolate in your blood may decrease, making it less effective. This may increase your risk of organ rejection.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together or if you have received rifampin in the previous 3 weeks.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.
References:
1.CellCept (mycophenolate mofetil) US prescribing information. Roche Pharmaceuticals June, 2012.
2.Naesens M, Kuypers DR, Streit F, Armstrong VW, Oellerich M, Verbeke K, Vanrenterghem Y. Rifampin induces alterations in mycophenolic acid glucuronidation and elimination: implications for drug exposure in renal allograft recipients. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2006 Nov;80(5):509-21.
3.Kuypers DR, Verleden G, Naesens M, Vanrenterghem Y. Drug interaction between mycophenolate mofetil and rifampin: possible induction of uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2005 Jul; 78(1):81-8.
