Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant used in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders including major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bulimia. Imipramine may also be useful as an adjunctive treatment in the management of panic attacks, neuropathic pain, attention-deficit disorder, and childhood enuresis (bedwetting) (1).
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) primarily mediate their therapeutic effect by inhibiting the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine, leaving more neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft stimulating the neuron. Because tricyclics can also block different receptors (histamine H1, α1-adrenergic, and muscarinic receptors), side effects are common. As such, more specific selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have largely replaced the use of them. However, TCAs still have an important use in specific types of depression and other conditions.
Imipramine is primarily metabolized via CYP2C19 to active metabolites, including desipramine, also a tricyclic antidepressant. Further metabolism is catalyzed by CYP2D6. Individuals who are “CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers” carry more than two normal function alleles (i.e., multiple copies) (Table 1, 2), whereas individuals who are “CYP2C19 ultrarapid metabolizers” carry two increased function alleles (Table 3, 4). Individuals who are CYP2D6 or CYP2C19 “poor metabolizers” carry two no function alleles for CYP2D6 or CYP2C19, respectively.
The FDA-approved drug label for imipramine states that CYP2D6 poor metabolizers have higher than expected plasma concentrations of tricyclic antidepressants when given usual doses. Their recommendations include monitoring tricyclic antidepressant plasma levels whenever a tricyclic antidepressant is going to be co-administered with another drug known to be an inhibitor of CYP2D6 (1).
In 2016, the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) made dosing recommendations for tricyclic antidepressants based on CYP2C19 and CYP2D6 genotypes. Amitriptyline and nortriptyline were used as model drugs for this guideline because the majority of pharmacogenomic studies have focused on these two drugs. According to the CPIC guideline, because TCAs have comparable pharmacokinetic properties, it may be reasonable to apply the recommendations to other tricyclics, including imipramine (2).
For CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers, CPIC recommends avoiding the use of a tricyclic due to the potential lack of efficacy, and to consider an alternative drug not metabolized by CYP2D6. If a TCA is still warranted, CPIC recommends considering titrating the TCA to a higher target dose (compared to normal metabolizers) and using therapeutic drug monitoring to guide dose adjustments. For CYP2D6 intermediate metabolizers, CPIC recommends considering a 25% reduction of the starting dose, and for CYP2D6 poor metabolizers, to avoid the use of tricyclics because of the potential for side effects. If a tricyclic is still warranted for CYP2D6 poor metabolizers, CPIC recommends considering a 50% reduction of the starting dose while monitoring drug plasma concentrations to avoid side effects.
For CYP2C19 ultrarapid metabolizers, CPIC recommends avoiding the use of tertiary amines (e.g., imipramine) due to the potential for a sub-optimal response, and to consider an alternative drug not metabolized by CYP2C19, such as the secondary amines nortriptyline or desipramine. For CYP2C19 poor metabolizers, CPIC recommends avoiding tertiary amine use due to the potential for sub-optimal response, and to consider an alternative drug not metabolized by CYP2C19. If a tertiary amine is still warranted for CYP2C19 poor metabolizers, CPIC recommends considering a 50% reduction of the starting dose while monitoring drug plasma concentrations to avoid side effects (2).