Limitation of Use: DESCOVY FOR PrEP is not indicated in individuals at risk of HIV-1 from receptive vaginal sex because effectiveness in this population has not been evaluated.
DESCOVY for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults and adolescents at risk of HIV. It helps lower the chances of getting HIV through sex.
Common side effects of Descovy include:
- nausea.
- changes in body fat distribution.
- changes in your immune system.
- new or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure,
- bone problems such as bone pain, softening, or thinning and fractures, or.
- increased cholesterol.
DESCOVY for PrEP is only for people who are HIV-negative. So you need to get tested for HIV immediately before and at least every 3 months while taking it. Tell a healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV. He or she may want to do more tests to be sure you are still HIV-negative.
Potential Drug InteractionsDescovy should not be taken with certain anticonvulsants (including carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, and phenytoin), Aptivus/Norvir, rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine, or St. John's wort. Can be used with hepatitis C drugs such as Epclusa, Harvoni, or Zepatier.
When used by people who are HIV-negative for PrEP, Descovy may cause a small amount of weight gain—or at least may not prevent normal weight gain as happens with Truvada. This is the case for cisgender men and possibly trans women (Descovy has not been studied for PrEP in transmasculine people or cisgender women).
Spinner noted that a different study found that tenofovir diphosphate levels in cells often exceeded the protective threshold within one to two hours, and always within four hours, after starting Descovy, whereas it took three days of daily use to reach this level with Truvada.
Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your DESCOVY is all gone. o Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider. o If you stop taking DESCOVY, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to
Both medicines inside Truvada interfere with an enzyme called reverse transcriptase, which is used by HIV-infected cells to make new viruses. Since Truvada reduces the activity of reverse transcriptase, it causes HIV-infected cells to slow down or stop producing new viruses.
The government did not invent PrEP, Truvada or Truvada for PrEP®. Gilead invented Truvada and funded the clinical trials that led to its 2004 FDA approval for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents to treat HIV.
Truvada was originally approved in 2004 in combination with other antiretroviral agents as a treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and is currently the most-prescribed antiretroviral product in the United States .
Emtricitabine/tenofovir, sold under the brand name Truvada among others, is a fixed-dose combination antiretroviral medication used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS. It contains the antiretroviral medications emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil.
Generic Name & Formulations:Emtricitabine, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate; 100mg/150mg, 133mg/200mg, 167mg/250mg, 200mg/300mg; tabs.
Clarithromycin is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections. This medication can also be used in combination with anti-ulcer medications to treat certain types of stomach ulcers. It may also be used to prevent certain bacterial infections. Clarithromycin is known as a macrolide antibiotic.
The most common side effects seen in the studies of Truvada as PrEP include headache, nausea, vomiting, rash and loss of appetite. In some people, tenofovir can increase creatinine and transaminases.
TRUVADA for PrEP is only for people who are at risk of getting HIV-1 and weigh at least 77 pounds. You must be HIV negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. TRUVADA for PrEP does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or pregnancy.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: adefovir, orlistat, other drugs that may harm the kidneys (including aminoglycosides such as amikacin/gentamicin). Tenofovir can decrease the effectiveness of another medication, atazanavir (by decreasing blood levels).
These costs were then balanced against the cost of PrEP: At the full realistic cost of Descovy ($16,600 a year)
DESCOVY is not approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and the safety and efficacy of DESCOVY have not been established in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and HBV.
DESCOVY for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a once-daily prescription medicine for adults and adolescents at risk of HIV. It helps lower the chances of getting HIV through sex.
