Sensitivity of ivacaftor to drug-drug interactions with rifampin, a cytochrome P450 3A4 inducer

The CFTR potentiator ivacaftor is responsible for significant clinical improvements among a subset of patients with cystic fibrosis. Because it is a substrate of the cytochrome P450 system, specifically CYP3A4/5, ivacaftor is subject to significant drug-drug interactions, including due to commonly used antimicrobials such as rifampin. While the interaction of rifampin and ivacaftor has been examined in vitro, severe adverse events resulting from this interaction have not been reported in the literature. In this report, we describe the termination of steady, long-term improvement in a patient taking ivacaftor, resulting from the use of rifampin and precipitating a significant pulmonary exacerbation.