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Tenofovir + emtricitabine

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Truvada is a fixed-dose combination tablet combining 200mg emtricitabine (FTC) and 300mg tenofovir. Both drugs are NRTIs but emtricitabine is a nucleoside and tenofovir is a nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor.

A nucleoside is a component of DNA and RNA consisting of a purine or pyrimidine base linked to a sugar. A nucleoside linked to a phosphate group in DNA or RNA is known as a nucleotide.

Truvada is currently the preferred NRTI back-bone in combinations for first-line therapy. It is also used by many treatment-experienced people.

Generic name: tenofovir + emtricitabine
Brand name:Truvada
Drug class:double NRTI
Availability in Australia:
  • Available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) through S100 prescribers.
  • This drug may be available through clinical trials in Australia.
  • You may be able to import this drug from overseas for your personal use.
Presentation:300/200mg tablet
What the treatment guidelines say:Tenofovir with emtricitabine or lamivudine has been studied in combination with several different boosted PIs in randomized clinical trials; all such trials demonstrate good virologic benefit. It is also the preferred NRTI combination for patients coinfected with both HIV and HBV, as these drugs have activity against both viruses.
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Like most anti-HIV drugs, tenofovir + emtricitabine must be taken in combination with other drugs to be completely effective. Your doctor will advise you on the right combination of drugs to suit your circumstances.

Dosage

The normal adult dose is one 200/300mg tablet once a day.

Some individuals, such as those with decreased kidney function, may require a different dose of Truvada.

Regardless of what you read on this website or elsewhere, you should always take your medications according to your doctor's instructions. If you're unsure, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

With or without food?

Tenofovir + emtricitabine may be taken with or without food.

Side effects

All drugs can produce side effects in some people. These may be mild, moderate or severe, so you should be aware of potential side effects before starting any drug, and speak to your doctor if you experience side effects that concern you.

  • Common side effects may include nausea (upset stomach, feeling sick to the stomach), diarrhoea, vomiting, headache, rash, dizziness, loss of appetite.
  • Less common side effects may include fatigue, lactic acidosis.
  • Rare side effects may include kidney damage, fatty liver, reduce bone mineral density.

    • It's unlikely you will experience all of these side effects, and you may not experience any side effects at all. Before starting any new drug, ask your doctor about side effects you might experience and discuss strategies for dealing with side effects if they do occur. If you experience any significant side effect you should continue taking your medicine and see your doctor as soon as possible.

Interactions with other drugs

Because Truvada contains tenofovir there may be interactions with ddI and with drugs that cause kidney toxicity. Truvada should not be taken with lamivudine (3TC). It may also affect the levels of some ritonavir, lopinavir and atazanavir. The drug also contains emtricitabine, which is not recommended in combination with ddC or 3TC. There are no data on interactions between emtricitabine and methadone. Tenofovir does not affect blood levels of methadone.
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Tenofovir may reduce inflammation

Positive Living article • AIDSmeds • 26 May 2011

It appears that the antiretroviralA medication or other substance which is active against retroviruses such as HIV. NRTIA type of anti-HIV drug that works by inhibiting a stage of the HIV life cycle called reverse transcription. Non-nucleosides work in a similar way, but are chemically different. tenofovir (found in Viread, Truvada and Atripla) may also have a calming effect on the immune system and provide protection against infections other than HIV. Laboratory tests have found that tenofovir offered two types of protection. First, it suppressed the production of inflammatory messengers, such as Interleukin-8 (IL-8). read more »

Rocky Mountain CROI

Positive Living article • Paul Kidd • 27 April 2006

The 13th annual Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) took place in Denver, Colorado, from February 5 to 8. The major breaking news from this conference was the premature cancellation of the SMART study, but as usual, this important conference produced a great deal more than a single story. read more »

News and treatments briefs

Positive Living article • Paul Kidd • 27 April 2006
symptoms, illnesses and opportunistic infections

HIV-related news in brief from the April 2006 edition of Positive Living. read more »

A tale of two cities

Positive Living article • Paul Kidd • 19 December 2004

With major medical conferences in the United States and Scotland, November was a busy month for HIV medicine. PAUL KIDD reviews some key findings. read more »

The table below shows all the clinical trials in the database with the keyword Truvada.

Short titleStatus
MODERN (Maraviroc versus Truvada) No longer enrolling
ROaR+ Enrolling
QUAD No longer enrolling
UK-453, 061 Concluded
VERxVE (fast and slow release nevirapine) Reported
ALTAIR (Truvada for treatment-naive) Reported
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This Treatments database entry was first published on 28 May 2009 — more than three years ago.

While the content of this treatments database entry was checked for accuracy at the time of publication, NAPWHA recommends checking to determine whether the information is the most up-to-date available, especially when making decisions which may affect your health.

This article may contain medical information. NAPWHA makes every reasonable effort to ensure the information on this website is accurate, reliable and up-to-date, including obtaining technical reviews by medically-qualified reviewers, however the authors of information on this website are not qualified to give medical advice, except where explicitly stated.

The content of this website is intended to support, not replace, the relationship between people living with HIV/AIDS and their medical advisers, and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

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