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Drug–Drug Interaction with DOACs

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Direct Oral Anticoagulants
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Abstract

Despite the relative recent approval, dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban are spreading in current clinical use, being indicated both for thromboprophylaxis in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In patients with multiple conditions, as in particular NVAF ones or with cancer, the contemporary administration of several drugs can cause relevant drug–drug interactions (DDIs), which can affect drugs’ pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Usually, all the DOACs are considered to be free of DDIs, notwithstanding this is actually not true, all of them being affected by DDIs with drugs that can influence the activity (induction or inhibition) of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and Cytochrome P450 isoenzyme (CYP), both responsible for DOACs disposition and metabolism to a different extent. In this chapter, it is described all the relevant drugs categories that have been reported to have shown significant DDIs when administered together with DOACs. The impact on DOACs pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic and the evidence for dose adjustment will be also discussed. The information reported in this chapter emphasizes that despite a restrained number of interactions, some strong inhibitors/inducers of P-gp and drug-metabolizing enzymes can affect DOACs concentration, implying the need for a dose adjustment or contraindication. Notwithstanding, the analysis of DOACs DDIs suggests that given the small propensity for interaction of this agents, their use represents an acceptable clinical decision, especially comparing the warfarin DDIs. Still the DDIs can be significant in certain clinical situations so a careful evaluation of DDIs should be made before prescribing a specific DOAC.

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Corsini, A., Ferri, N. (2021). Drug–Drug Interaction with DOACs. In: Proietti, R., AlTurki, A., Ferri, N., Russo, V., Bunch, T.J. (eds) Direct Oral Anticoagulants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74462-5_4

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