Lack of effect of rosiglitazone on the pharmacokinetics of oral contraceptives in healthy female volunteers.

The effect of rosiglitazone (Avandia [BRL 49653C]) on the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol and norethindrone was evaluated after repeat dosing of rosiglitazone with an oral contraceptive (OC; Ortho-Novum 1/35 containing norethindrone 1 mg and ethinylestradiol 0.035 mg) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Thirty-four healthy female volunteers received oral rosiglitazone (RSG) 8 mg + OC or matched placebo (P) + OC daily on days 1 to 14 of a 28-day OC dosing cycle; the alternate regimen was administered during a second cycle. Ethinylestradiol and norethindrone pharmacokinetics were determined from plasma concentrations on day 14. Lack of pharmacokinetic effect was prospectively defined as 90% CI for the point estimate (PE) of the ratio (RSG + OC):(P + OC) contained within a 20% equivalence range for both ethinylestradiol and norethindrone (analyzed by ANOVA). For RSG + OC and P + OC, respectively, mean ethinylestradiol AUC(0-24) was 1126 and 1208 pg.h/mL (PE: 0.92; 90% CI: 0.88-0.97), and mean norethindrone AUC(0-24) was 178 and 171 ng.h/mL (PE: 1.04; 90% CI: 1.00-1.07). Thus, rosiglitazone had no significant effects on the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol or norethindrone. Coadministration of rosiglitazone with OCs does not induce metabolism of these synthetic sex steroids and is not expected to impair the efficacy of OCs or hormone replacement therapy.

The effect of acarbose on the pharmacokinetics of rosiglitazone.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether treatment with acarbose alters the pharmacokinetics (PK) of coadministered rosiglitazone. METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers (24-59-years old) received a single 8-mg dose of rosiglitazone on day 1, followed by 7 days of repeat dosing with acarbose [100 mg three times daily (t.i.d.) with meals]. On the last day of acarbose t.i.d. dosing (day 8), a single dose of rosiglitazone was given with the morning dose of acarbose. PK profiles following rosiglitazone dosing on days 1 and 8 were compared, and point estimates (PE) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Rosiglitazone absorption [as measured with peak plasma concentration (Cmax) and time to peak concentration (Tmax)] was unaffected by acarbose. The area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity [AUC(0-infinity)] was on average 12% lower (95% CI-21%, -2%) during rosiglitazone + acarbose coadministration and was accompanied by an approximate 1-h (23%) reduction in terminal elimination half-life t1/2 (4.9 h versus 3.8 h). This small decrease in AUC(0-infinity) appears to be due to an alteration in systemic clearance of rosiglitazone and not changes in absorption. These observed changes in AUC(0-infinity) and t1/2 are not likely to be clinically relevant. Coadministration of rosiglitazone and acarbose was well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Acarbose administered at therapeutic doses has a small, but clinically insignificant, effect on rosiglitazone pharmacokinetics.

Rosiglitazone has no clinically significant effect on nifedipine pharmacokinetics.

To examine the effects of repeat oral dosing of rosiglitazone on the pharmacokinetics of nifedipine, a prototype CYP3A4 substrate, a randomized, open-label, crossover study was performed with two treatment phases separated by a washout period of at least 14 days. Twenty-eight healthy male volunteers received either a single 20 mg oral nifedipine dose or rosiglitazone 8 mg orally once daily for 14 days with a single 20 mg oral nifedipine dose administered on day 14. Plasma nifedipine concentrations were determined over the 24-hour period following administration of the nifedipine doses. Lack of effect was defined as the demonstration that the 90% CI was contained entirely within a symmetrical 30% range either side of unity on the loge-scale. Following rosiglitazone + nifedipine administration, the area under the nifedipine concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC(0-infinity)) was 13% lower than that after administration of nifedipine alone. This difference in nifedipine AUC(0-infinity) was not deemed to be clinically significant since the 90% CI was contained within the protocol-defined 30% range (point estimate for ratio of geometric means 0.87; 90% CI: 0.79, 0.96). Rosiglitazone had no marked effect on nifedipine peak plasma concentration (point estimate: 0.99; 90% CI: 0.73, 1.34) or time to peak concentration compared with nifedipine alone. Rosiglitazone coadministration produced a small decrease in the mean nifedipine half-life (point estimate: -0.77; 90% CI: mean difference -1.29 h, -0.25 h). Both treatment regimens were well tolerated and associated with a favorable safety profile. Rosiglitazone, at the highest dose used in clinical studies, produced a small, clinically insignificant decrease in nifedipine exposure. The very small effect on nifedipine pharmacokinetics suggests that rosiglitazone is an extremely weak inducer of CYP3A4, a characteristic that distinguishes rosiglitazone from troglitazone.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in chronic osteomyelitis.

Analysis of three cases and a review of the recent literature on squamous cell carcinoma arising in osteomyelitis confirm that this is an uncommon condition which may run a less benign course than was earlier believed. The disease affects chiefly middle-aged and older men, usually involves the lower extremity and most often occurs in the tibia. Development of a malignant tumour is heralded by increased pain and foul-smelling drainage in the presence of a fungating ulcer. Increased bone destruction is seen on the roentgenograms. A consistent finding is the long duration of infection but the authors stress that sinus drainage of long duration is not essential: the carcinoma can arise in scar overlying quiescent osteomyelitis as is occasionally seen in burn scars. Amputation is the treatment of choice.