Siddhee A. Sahasrabudhe, MS, PhD Student of Pharmacology at UMN’s Center of Orphan Drug Research, discusses research on the potential interactions between an oral Gaucher disease treatment and an investigational COVID-19 therapy.
Gaucher disease is a rare lysosomal storage disorder in which glucocerebroside accumulates in cells and certain organs. The disorder is characterized by bruising, fatigue, anemia, low blood platelet count and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
Ms. Sahasrabudhe recently presented at this year’s WORLDSymposium conference. As she explains, her study was focused on the potential interactions between eliglustat, a substrate reduction therapy used for Gaucher disease, and fluvoxamine, an investigational COVID-19 drug. A population pharmacokinetics approach was used to examine the potential drug-drug interaction, which mathematically demonstrates the impact of fluvoxamine on a patient who has been on eliglustat long-term. Results of the study showed a very low-risk of harmful drug interaction between eliglustat and fluvoxamine. This suggests that a Gaucher patient would not only be able to take fluvoxamine as a COVID-19 treatment should it be given to them but that they could remain on eliglustat during COVID-19 treatment as well.
For more information about Gaucher disease and other lysosomal storage disorders, visit checkrare.com/diseases/lysosomal-storage-disorders/