Azithromycin + Zidovudine = Unknown or no reaction

Effect on Concentration

Azithromycin
Unknown
Applies within class?
No
Zidovudine
No change
Applies within class?
No

Pharmacologic Effects

Effect
N/A
Applies within class?
No
Effect
N/A
Applies within class?
No

Interaction History

N/A

Last Updated 22-May-2020

Summary

Though intracellular phosporylated concentrations increased, main AUC and Cmax exposure parameters were not changed.

Sources

Study Design

wo studies were conducted in HIV-infected subjects to assess the potential for azithromycin to interact with zidovudine and dideoxyinosine. Both studies used 12 subjects. The zidovudine study dosed subjects with 1200 mg/day of azithromycin (n 7) (later changed to 600 mg/day n 5) for Days 8 to 21 of a 21-day course of 100 mg, five times/day of zidovudine. Subjects treated with 200 mg of dideoxyinosine twice daily for 21 days received 1200 mg of azithromycin or an equivalent amount of placebo/day for Days 8 to 21. Antiretroviral plasma and urine sampling were conducted on Days 1, 7, and 21 for zidovudine and on Days 7 and 21 for dideoxyinosine. Peripheral mononuclear cells were also collected for quantitation of phosphorylated zidovudine.

Study Results

Azithromycin had no significant impact on the Cmax and AUC of zidovudine, although it significantly decreased the zidovudine tmax by 44 and increased the intracellular exposure to phosphorylated zidovudine by 110. Azithromycin had no significant effect on dideoxyinosine pharmacokinetics.

Study Conclusions

Based on the results of these studies, it is concluded that azithromycin may be safely coadministered with both zidovudine and dideoxyinosine.

References

Amsden G. Lack of an effect of azithromycin on the disposition of zidovudine and dideoxyinosine in hiv-infected patients. J Clin Pharmacol. 2001; 2: 210-6.