favipiravir and Chemical-and-Drug-Induced-Liver-Injury

Favipiravir is an antiviral agent that is recently used for SARS-CoV2 infection. The drug-drug interactions of favipiravir especially with chemotherapeutic agents in a patient with malignancy are not well known.. Favipiravir may inhibit methotrexate elimination by inhibiting aldehyde oxidase and its sequential use may cause hepatotoxicity in this case. The clinicians should keep in mind possible drug interactions while using new antiviral agents against SARS-CoV2 like favipiravir.

Topics: Amides; Antiviral Agents; Bone Neoplasms; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; COVID-19; Humans; Methotrexate; Osteosarcoma; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Pyrazines; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2

Favipiravir is an antiviral drug that is expected to have a therapeutic effect on SARS-CoV2 infection. Teratogenicity and hyperuricemia are known as the main side effects of favipiravir, but little is known about other side effects. This report describes a case of cholestatic liver injury induced by favipiravir. A 73-year-old Japanese with a history of alcoholic hepatitis was infected with SARS-CoV2. Drug therapy was instituted with lopinavir/ritonavir combined with interferon β-1b. However, his condition worsened despite additional support with continuous hemodiafiltration and veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We suspected complications of bacterial pneumonia and started favipiravir in addition to antimicrobial therapy. Favipiravir was administered at 6000 mg/day on the first day and 2400 mg/day for the second and subsequent days for 14 days. After the initiation of antibiotics, transaminase and total bilirubin were elevated, suggesting a transient cholestasic liver dysfunction. The liver dysfunction in this case may have been triggered by antibacterial treatment, and high dose of favipiravir may have promoted the deterioration of liver function. Monitoring of liver function is vital and close attention should be paid when using favipiravir at high doses or in patients with impaired liver function.

Topics: Aged; Amides; Antiviral Agents; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Cholestasis; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Drug Therapy, Combination; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; Humans; Lopinavir; Male; Pyrazines; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2

Topics: Amides; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological; Antiviral Agents; Betacoronavirus; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; Coronavirus Infections; COVID-19; COVID-19 Drug Treatment; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; Drug Combinations; Drug Interactions; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors; Humans; Hydroxychloroquine; Immunosuppression Therapy; Kidney Diseases; Long QT Syndrome; Lopinavir; Neoplasms; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors; Proteasome Inhibitors; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pyrazines; Ritonavir; SARS-CoV-2