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abiraterone vs pioglitazone

Side-by-side comparison of abiraterone and pioglitazone. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

minor Known Drug Interaction

In a CYP2C8 drug-drug interaction trial in healthy subjects, the AUC of pioglitazone (CYP2C8 substrate) was increased by 46% when pioglitazone was given together with a single dose of 1,000 mg abiraterone acetate.

Recommendation: Your doctor may need to monitor you more closely for side effects or adjust your dose of pioglitazone.

Drug Class
abiraterone CYP17 Inhibitor
pioglitazone Thiazolidinedione
Type
abiraterone Prescription
pioglitazone Prescription
Summary
abiraterone

Abiraterone (Zytiga) is a medicine used with prednisone to treat prostate cancer that has spread. It works by lowering the amount of androgen your body makes.

pioglitazone

Pioglitazone (Actos) is a medicine that helps control blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes. It works along with diet and exercise.

What It Treats
abiraterone

Abiraterone is used to treat prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. It is for cancers that are castration-resistant, meaning they no longer respond to hormone therapy alone. It is also used for high-risk castration-sensitive prostate cancer. You will take this medicine with prednisone.

pioglitazone

Pioglitazone is used to help manage blood sugar in adults who have type 2 diabetes. It is used in addition to diet and exercise. This medicine will not work for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis.

How It Works
abiraterone

Abiraterone blocks an enzyme called CYP17, which your body needs to make androgens. Androgens can help prostate cancer grow. By blocking this enzyme, abiraterone lowers androgen levels and slows cancer growth.

pioglitazone

Pioglitazone belongs to a class of drugs called thiazolidinediones. It makes your body more sensitive to insulin, which helps lower blood sugar. It works by activating a certain receptor in your body called PPAR gamma.

Common Side Effects
abiraterone
  • Feeling tired
  • Joint pain
  • High blood pressure
  • Feeling sick to your stomach
  • Swelling
pioglitazone
  • Upper respiratory infection
  • Headache
  • Sinus infection
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
FAERS Reports
abiraterone
  • Death 1,390
  • Feeling tired 1,022
  • Hot flash 678
  • Weakness 562
  • Worsening of disease 561
pioglitazone
  • Cancer of the bladder 8,736
  • Increased blood sugar 3,385
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,917
  • Weight loss 2,084
  • Loose or watery stools 1,680
Serious Warnings
abiraterone

Abiraterone can cause problems with mineralocorticoid excess, like high blood pressure, low potassium, and fluid retention. If you have heart problems, your doctor will monitor you closely. This medicine can also cause liver problems, which can be severe. Your doctor will check your liver function regularly. Do not take abiraterone with radium Ra 223 dichloride. Abiraterone can harm an unborn baby, so men should use effective birth control if their partner can get pregnant.

pioglitazone

Pioglitazone can cause or worsen heart failure in some people. Watch for signs like rapid weight gain, shortness of breath, and swelling. If you have heart failure, it should be managed, and stopping or lowering the dose of pioglitazone should be considered. If you have severe heart failure (NYHA Class III or IV), you should not start taking pioglitazone.

Pregnancy
abiraterone

Abiraterone can cause harm to an unborn baby. Men who are taking abiraterone should use effective birth control during treatment and for 3 weeks after the last dose if their partner is able to get pregnant. It is not known if abiraterone passes into breast milk.

pioglitazone

It is not known if pioglitazone can harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is also not known if pioglitazone passes into breast milk, so talk to your doctor about breastfeeding while taking this medicine.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare pioglitazone with

How to Read This abiraterone vs pioglitazone Comparison

abiraterone is classified in the CYP17 Inhibitor drug class, while pioglitazone sits within the Thiazolidinedione class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, abiraterone has 4,213 submissions while pioglitazone has 18,802. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known minor interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to abiraterone blocks a protein in the liver that normally breaks down pioglitazone. this causes pioglitazone to stay in your body longer and reach higher levels.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot substitute for clinical judgment. Effectiveness, tolerability, drug-drug interactions with your other medications, kidney and liver function, pregnancy status, insurance formulary, and price all feed into a decision that only a licensed prescriber can make responsibly. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This page is for educational purposes only, is not medical advice, and should not be used to self-switch between abiraterone and pioglitazone - always consult your physician or pharmacist first.

Important: This comparison is for informational purposes only. Drug effects vary between individuals. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist for personalized medical advice.