Loading...
We never thought that idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) was a dose-response phenomenon. However, investigators have noted that most drugs that are required to carry black-box warnings or that have been pulled off the market for hepatotoxicity are prescribed at daily doses >50 mg (Annu Rev Pharmcol Toxicol 2007; 47:513). Now, researchers have examined the relation between levels of oral dosing and reported incidence of adverse hepatic events.
Using a publicly available pharmacy database, researchers identified 230 commonly prescribed medications in the U.S. and classified them into three dosing groups: ≤10 mg, 11–49 mg, and ≥50 mg daily. Each drug was then evaluated for any reports of adverse hepatic events (defined as alanine am…