Lack of pharmacokinetic interaction of colestipol and fenofibrate in volunteers.

The possibility of a pharmacokinetic interaction between two hypolipidemic drugs, colestipol, an ion exchange resin, and fenofibrate, a phenoxyacid derivative, was studied in 6 male volunteers. The investigation followed a four-step protocol during 18 days, and relied on determination of plasma and urinary levels of fenofibric acid, the active metabolite of fenofibrate. The kinetics of a single dose of fenofibrate 300 mg was established over 3 days. Thereafter, from Days 4 to 9 fenofibrate was given daily as 200 mg in the morning and 100 mg in the evening; the plasma fenofibric acid level reached about 10 microgram/ml. From Days 9 to 15 the same dose of fenofibrate was administered together with colestipol 10 g in the morning and 5 g in the evening. Plasma fenofibric acid concentrations remained unchanged and the 24 h urinary excretion of fenofibric acid did not fall. On day 15, a last single dose of fenofibrate 300 mg was given with colestipol 15 g. The pharmacokinetic pattern of fenofibric acid on Days 15 to 18 did not differ significantly from that found previously (Days 1 to 3). From these results, it is likely that there is no pharmacokinetic interaction between the two hypolipidemic drugs.