They warn of the danger of the interaction of these treatments that can be “potentially fatal”
The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) has launched a new alert about the risks of the interaction of two treatments. The outcome can be “potentially fatal,” they say from this organization, which indicates that “despite the information and risk minimization measures carried out, serious cases continue to be reported.”
The Aemps warns that “brivudine and fluoropyrimidines should never be administered simultaneously.” The first is an antiviral indicated for the early treatment of acute herpes zoster (caused by the varicella-zoster virus and commonly known as ‘shingles’) in immunocompetent adults. This active substance is found in the drugs Nervinex and Brivudine Aristo.
For their part, fluoropyrimidines are substances belonging to a group used in the treatment of cancer. It includes capecitabine, floxuridine and fluorouracil (5-FU).
As specified by the Medicines Agency, brivudine (Nervinex and Brivudine Aristo) should not be administered to patients who have recently received or are receiving antineoplastic chemotherapy with medicines containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), including also its topical preparations, its prodrugs ( for example, capecitabine, tegafur), combination of drugs containing these active ingredients or other fluoropyrimidines or antifungal treatment with flucytosine. The reason is that their combined administration produces “overexposure and increased toxicity of fluoropyrimidines that is potentially fatal.”
It is also not advised “if you suffer from a fungal infection and have recently received or are receiving antifungal treatment with flucytosine”, as the Nervinex and Brivudina Aristo leaflets specify.
At least 4 weeks must pass after completing treatment with brivudine so that the interaction between both substances does not imply any danger. Likewise, it is specified that if you are going to receive anti-cancer or antineoplastic chemotherapy within 4 weeks, you should not take brivudine either.
The Aemps makes two recommendations to health professionals. On the one hand, they should ensure, before prescribing brivudine, that the patient is not receiving antineoplastic chemotherapy containing 5-fluoropyrimidines or flucytosine and, on the other hand, inform and remind the patient to read the warnings on the packaging of the medications they contain. contains brivudine, as well as the information card included therein and the drug leaflet.