Design of in vitro studies to predict in vivo inhibitory drug-drug interactions

In vitro studies offer great potential for achieving helpful information for predicting clinical interactions between concomitantly administered drugs. Since the metabolism of drugs usually involves several pathways, the enzyme or CYP isozymes known to contribute to the metabolism of the majority of therapeutic drugs should be preferentially studied. To make corrective intervention in the stages of drug discovery and to improve the process of drug development, an early investigation of potential inhibitory drug-drug interactions is required. (C) 1998 The Italian Pharmacological Society.