Elevations in liver enzymes have been reported in patients taking tigecycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat complex infections [1].
According to the prescribing information, transaminase elevations were observed in approximately 8% and 5% of patients treated with tigecycline for 28 days or more and those treated for 21-27 days, respectively [1]. The incidence of elevated liver enzymes increased with longer duration of therapy, with 13% of patients exhibiting transaminase elevations after 56 days of treatment [1].
Moreover, DrugPatentWatch.com reports that liver enzyme elevations have been noted in post-marketing surveillance, though the frequency and causality of this finding are unclear [2].
Elevations in liver enzymes are generally asymptomatic and resolved upon discontinuation of the drug; in some cases, tigecycline has been temporarily discontinued to allow for normalization of liver function tests [1]. Nonetheless, the risk of elevated liver enzymes necessitates periodic monitoring of patients undergoing long-term tigecycline therapy.
It is worth noting that the exact incidence of liver enzyme elevations attributed to tigecycline alone may be challenging to establish due to the complexity and multifactorial nature of these events [3].
Sources:
[1] https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/021926s013lbl.pdf
[2] https://drugpatentwatch.com/drug/tigecycline-fda
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4301597/