echinacea purpurea

Echinacea purpurea is a botanical extract derived from the purple coneflower plant, widely used as an herbal supplement for its purported immune-stimulating properties. In the context of clinical research, specifically studies conducted by the Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, it has been evaluated for its potential pharmacokinetic interactions with antiretroviral drugs in patients with HIV. The extract is known to influence the cytochrome P450 system, specifically acting as an inducer of CYP3A4 in the liver and an inhibitor of the same enzyme in the intestine. A Phase 4 study investigated these effects in patients on stable darunavir/ritonavir therapy, concluding that the coadministration was safe and did not significantly alter the pharmacokinetics of the HIV protease inhibitors, thus requiring no dose adjustments.

Other names

purple coneflowerEchinacea purpurea root extract