cyclosporine vs dronabinol

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Side-by-side comparison of cyclosporine and dronabinol. 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

(7.3) Highly protein-bound drugs: Potential for displacement of other drugs from plasma proteins; monitor for adverse reactions to concomitant highly protein-bound drugs and narrow therapeutic index drugs (e.g., warfarin, cyclosporine, amphotericin B) when initiating or increasing the dosage of dronabinol capsules. Although this displacement has not been confirmed in vivo , monitor patients for increased adverse reactions to narrow therapeutic index drugs that are highly protein-bound (e.g., warfarin, cyclosporine, amphotericin B) when initiating treatment or increasing the dosage of...

Drug Class
cyclosporine Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant)
dronabinol Cannabinoid Antiemetic
Type
cyclosporine Prescription
dronabinol Prescription
Summary
cyclosporine

Vevye eye drops contain cyclosporine. They help treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

dronabinol

Dronabinol capsules contain a synthetic form of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. It is used to treat loss of appetite in AIDS patients and nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy.

What It Treats
cyclosporine

Vevye treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Dry eye can cause discomfort, stinging, and blurred vision. This medicine can help reduce these symptoms.

dronabinol

Dronabinol is used to treat loss of appetite and weight loss in adults with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It also helps with nausea and vomiting caused by cancer chemotherapy when other treatments don't work well. Dronabinol can help you eat more and feel less sick.

How It Works
cyclosporine

Vevye contains cyclosporine, which is an immunosuppressant. It works by decreasing inflammation in the eyes. This helps your eyes make more tears.

dronabinol

Dronabinol works by activating cannabinoid receptors in your brain. These receptors affect appetite, mood, and the sensation of nausea. By activating these receptors, dronabinol can increase appetite and reduce nausea and vomiting.

Common Side Effects
cyclosporine
  • Irritation where the drops are applied (8%)
dronabinol
  • Abdominal pain
  • Dizziness
  • Feeling very happy
  • Nausea
  • Feeling paranoid
FAERS Reports
cyclosporine
  • Eye Irritation 7,786
  • Pyrexia 4,064
  • Eye Pain 3,808
  • Nausea 3,623
  • Diarrhoea 3,562
dronabinol
  • Nausea 878
  • Fatigue 696
  • Diarrhoea 604
  • Death 593
  • Vomiting 580
Serious Warnings
cyclosporine

To avoid eye injury or contamination, do not touch the bottle tip to your eye or any other surface. Do not use Vevye while wearing contact lenses. If you wear contacts, remove them before using the drops. You can put them back in 15 minutes after using Vevye.

dronabinol

Dronabinol can cause mental and mood changes. Tell your doctor if you have a history of mental illness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how this medicine affects you. This medicine can also affect your heart, causing changes in blood pressure or heart rate. Dronabinol may also increase the risk of seizures.

Pregnancy
cyclosporine

It is not known if Vevye will harm an unborn baby. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Cyclosporine can pass into breast milk after being taken orally, but it is unknown if it passes into breast milk from eye drops. Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding.

dronabinol

Dronabinol may harm your unborn baby. Avoid using this medicine if you are pregnant. If you are breastfeeding and have HIV, do not breastfeed due to the risk of passing HIV to your baby.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

Compare dronabinol with

How to Read This cyclosporine vs dronabinol Comparison

cyclosporine is classified in the Calcineurin Inhibitor (Immunosuppressant) drug class, while dronabinol sits within the Cannabinoid Antiemetic 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, cyclosporine has 22,843 submissions while dronabinol has 3,351. 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 dronabinol may knock cyclosporine off the proteins it usually sticks to in your blood, making the cyclosporine more active.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for cyclosporine or dronabinol.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.