Clinical and pharmacokinetic evidence of a life-threatening interaction between methotrexate and ketoprofen.

Co-administration of ketoprofen was found in 4 of 118 cycles of high-dose methotrexate (MTX) analysed retrospectively in thirty-six patients. All 4 cycles were characterised by severe MTX toxicity, which was fatal in three cases. Simultaneous administration of ketoprofen was associated with prolonged and striking enhancement of serum MTX levels. There were no abnormalities in MTX kinetics or evidence of MTX toxicity when ketoprofen was given at least 12 h after completion of high-dose MTX infusion. The kidney may be the site of drug interaction. This high-risk association between MTX toxicity and ketoprofen may also apply to other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.