idebenone at a glance
Medicine class
Short-chain benzoquinone antioxidant acting on mitochondrial energy production.
Licensed use
Visual impairment in adolescents and adults with LHON.
Taking the tablets
Swallow whole with water and food; do not break, crush or chew them.
Urine colour
Reddish-brown urine can occur because idebenone metabolites are coloured and is usually harmless.
What is idebenone used for?
Idebenone is licensed for:
Visual impairment in adolescents and adults with LHON, an inherited mitochondrial disorder affecting the optic nerve.
How does idebenone work?
LHON mutations impair part of the mitochondrial electron-transport chain. Idebenone may bypass this impairment, support energy production and reactivate retinal cells that remain viable but inactive. Vision improvement varies and is not guaranteed.
idebenone preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 150 mg
How to take idebenone
Follow the specialist’s prescription and product leaflet.
Take the film-coated tablets with food, which substantially increases absorption.
Swallow them whole with water.
Do not break, crush or chew them.
Speak to the prescriber before stopping treatment.
idebenone side effects
Common or expected effects
- Cold-like inflammation of the nose and throat
- Cough
- Mild-to-moderate diarrhoea
- Back pain
Get urgent medical advice
- Seizure
- Hepatitis or abnormal liver tests, sometimes with jaundice
- Blood-cell disorders causing infection, anaemia, bruising or bleeding
- Allergic reaction, including a possible reaction to sunset yellow FCF
idebenone in pregnancy
Safety during human pregnancy has not been established. The prescriber should weigh the expected benefit against potential fetal risk. Contact the specialist if pregnant or planning pregnancy.
idebenone while breastfeeding
Risk to a breastfed child cannot be excluded. The specialist should discuss whether breastfeeding or idebenone treatment should be stopped, considering their respective benefits.
idebenone interactions
Tell the prescriber or pharmacist about all medicines because idebenone can affect CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein transport.
Narrow-therapeutic-index CYP3A4 substrates, including ciclosporin, tacrolimus, sirolimus, fentanyl, quinidine and ergot alkaloids
Idebenone may increase exposure; cautious use and appropriate clinical monitoring are required.
Dabigatran etexilate, digoxin or aliskiren
Possible P-glycoprotein inhibition may increase exposure; use cautiously and monitor as clinically appropriate.
Common questions about idebenone
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Can idebenone cure LHON?
No cure is established. It may help some viable but inactive retinal cells recover function, but improvement varies and is not guaranteed.
Why must it be taken with food?
Food markedly increases the amount absorbed into the bloodstream.
Why can urine turn reddish brown?
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.