Probable drug-induced liver injury associated with aliskiren: Case report and review of adverse event reports from pharmacovigilance databases

Purpose A case of probable drug-induced liver injury (DILI) attributed to use of the antihypertensive agent aliskiren is reported. Summary A 61-year-old woman undergoing routine liver function monitoring in conjunction with long-term antiepileptic therapy was noted to have an asymptomatic acute hepatic cytolysis 1 month after the initiation of concomitant aliskiren therapy (150 mg/day). Liver enzyme testing showed dramatically elevated aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) concentrations, with substantial rises also noted in γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels. The calculated ALT:ALP value indicated hepatocellular injury. On discontinuation of aliskiren use, rapid biological improvement occurred, including normalization of serum AST and a sharp decline in serum ALT within one week and the return of GGT and ALP levels to baseline a few weeks later; the patient’s AST and ALT concentrations remained normal during 18 months of subsequent monitoring. Using the algorithm of Naranjo et al. and a DILI-specific causality assessment instrument, it was determined that aliskiren use was the probable cause of the patient’s liver injury. While this is believed to be the first report of aliskiren-associated DILI in the professional literature, a review of information from several European and North American pharmacovigilance databases (through October 2012) identified 117 reports of suspected aliskiren hepatotoxicity, including 6 reports of liver failure and 12 reports of deaths. Conclusion Asymptomatic acute hepatic cytolysis was observed in a 61-year-old woman approximately one month after initiation of aliskerin for treatment of hypertension. Improvement in AST and ALT concentrations was observed shortly after the drug was discontinued.