Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) has potential interactions with other medications. These interactions could cause harmful effects.
Leqembi is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease in adults with mild dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Leqembi’s possible interactions.
Before you start using Leqembi, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions.
To learn whether Leqembi interacts with herbs, vitamins, or supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Leqembi?” section.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The following table lists drugs that may interact with Leqembi. Keep in mind this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Leqembi. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
|---|---|---|
| anticoagulants | • warfarin (Jantoven) • apixaban (Eliquis) | can increase the risk of bleeding in your brain as a side effect of Leqembi and anticoagulants |
| antiplatelets | • aspirin • clopidogrel (Plavix) | can increase the risk of bleeding in your brain as a side effect of Leqembi and antiplatelets |
Certain health conditions or other factors could raise your risk of harm if you use Leqembi. In such cases, your doctor may not prescribe Leqembi for you. These are known as contraindications. The following list includes contraindications of Leqembi.
If you’ve had an allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Leqembi or any of its ingredients, your doctor likely won’t prescribe Leqembi for you. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better options for you.
Before you start using Leqembi, talk with your doctor if any of the factors mentioned here apply to you. Your doctor can determine whether Leqembi is safe for you to use.
Leqembi is not known to interact with alcohol. However, your doctor may still suggest avoiding or minimizing alcohol consumption if you have Alzheimer’s disease (the condition Leqembi is used to treat). Alcohol has been linked to memory loss. Avoiding or minimizing alcohol may help slow the rate at which dementia worsens.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol during Leqembi treatment, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Leqembi.
Interaction with anticoagulants
Leqembi interacts with anticoagulants, which are prescribed for treating and lowering the risk of blood clots.
Taking an anticoagulant while using Leqembi may increase your risk of bleeding in the brain as a side effect of Leqembi. Leqembi has a boxed warning about the risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), including bleeding in the brain. See the introduction of this article or talk with your doctor to learn more about this warning.
Here are some anticoagulants that may interact with Leqembi:
- warfarin (Jantoven)
- apixaban (Eliquis)
- rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
- heparin
- enoxaparin (Lovenox)
What you can do
Bleeding in the brain caused by Leqmebi may be minor (such as small spotting), but can also be life threatening. If you use Leqembi and an anticoagulant together, tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of bleeding in the brain. These may include headache, confusion, and difficulty walking. But you should immediately call 911 (or your local emergency number) or go to the closest emergency room if your symptoms feel severe or life threatening.
If you have questions about using Leqembi with an anticoagulant, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with antiplatelets
Leqembi interacts with antiplatelets, which are used to treat and lower the risk of blood clots.
Taking an antiplatelet and using Leqembi may increase your risk of bleeding in the brain as a side effect of Leqembi. Leqembi has a boxed warning about the risk of ARIA, including a risk of bleeding in the brain. See the introduction of this article or talk with your doctor to learn more about this warning.
Here are some antiplatelet drugs that may interact with Leqembi:
- aspirin
- clopidogrel (Plavix)
- ticagrelor (Brilinta)
- prasugrel (Effient)
What you can do
Bleeding in the brain caused by Leqmebi may be minor (such as small spotting), but can also be life threatening. If you use Leqembi and an antiplatelet medication together, immediately tell your doctor if you have symptoms of bleeding in the brain. These may include confusion, headache, and difficulty walking. But if your symptoms feel severe or life threatening, immediately go to the closest emergency room or call your local emergency number (such as 911).
If you have questions about using Leqembi with an antiplatelet drug, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Leqembi may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests.
Here are additional interactions that may occur with Leqembi. Note that this is not a full list of all other possible interactions with Leqembi.
Does Leqembi interact with supplements?
Before you start using Leqembi, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs, vitamins, or supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Leqembi interactions with herbs
There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Leqembi.
Leqembi interactions with vitamins
There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Leqembi.
Does Leqembi interact with food?
There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods during your treatment with Leqembi, talk with your doctor.
Does Leqembi interact with vaccines?
There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with vaccines. If you have questions about getting certain vaccines during your Leqembi treatment, talk with your doctor.
Does Leqembi interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Leqembi, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Leqembi interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Leqembi interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Leqembi.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Leqembi. Before using Leqembi, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Leqembi is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Leqembi include:
Homozygous apolipoprotein E gene carriers: If you are a homozygous apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene carrier, you may be at higher risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) formation as a side effect of Leqembi. Leqembi has a boxed warning about the risk of ARIA. To learn more, see the introduction of this article. Your doctor will likely order a test to check for ApoE gene status before prescribing Leqembi.
Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Leqembi is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or may become pregnant, talk with your doctor before using Leqembi.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Leqembi while breastfeeding. It’s not known if the drug passes into breast milk, or whether the drug may cause side effects in a child who is breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Leqembi or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Leqembi. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be better for you.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Leqembi. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis
- the
list of medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs - what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Leqembi treatment
It’s also important to understand Leqembi’s
If you did not get paperwork with Leqembi, ask your pharmacist to print a copy for you. If you have difficulty reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Using Leqembi exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.