Approved HIV drugs (as of 1/22/08)    Nucleoside and or Nucleotide Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (nukes for short, abbreviations: NRTI, NtRTI)  Brand name (generic name, abbreviation) Picture Year Approved Single Dose: Adults*   Food and fluid restrictions: Special notes or warnings Atripla™ (Sustiva* + Viread + Emtriva), by Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb * Sustiva is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) 2006 One tablet (contains 600mg Sustiva + 300mg Viread + 200mg Emtriva), once a day (a total of one pill a day). It is recommended that Atripla be taken on an empty stomach.   Notes: Dose should be taken at bedtime to minimize dizziness, drowsiness and impaired concentration.   See special notes or warnings for Sustiva, Viread and Emtriva. Combivir® (Retrovir + Epivir, CBV), by GlaxoSmithKline 1997 One tablet (contains 300mg Retrovir + 150mg Epivir), twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day). No food restrictions: take with or without food. See special notes or warnings for Retrovir and Epivir. Emtriva® (emtricitabine, FTC), by Gilead Sciences 2003 One 200mg capsule once a day. No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Can cause buildup of acid in the blood; fatty liver; people with hepatitis B (HBV) should use with caution. Epivir® (lamivudine; 3TC), by GlaxoSmithKline 1995 One 300mg tablet, once a day, or one 150mg tablet, twice a day* (a total of 1 or 2 pills a day). No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Can cause buildup of acid in the blood; fatty liver; people with hepatitis B (HBV) should use with caution.   Notes: Epivir is also used to hepatitis B (HBV) at a different dosage. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are coinfected with HIV and HBV     Epzicom® (Ziagen + Epivir), by GlaxoSmithKline 2004 One tablet (contains 600mg Ziagen + 300mg Epivir), once a day No food restrictions: take with or without food. See special notes or warnings for Ziagen and Epivir. Retrovir® (zidovudine, AZT) by GlaxoSmithKline   1987 One 300 mg tablet, 2 times per day.   No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Can cause anemia and a decrease in white blood cells; damage to muscles; fatty liver; or lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood). People who are coinfected with HIV and hepatitis and are considering HCV treatment should speak to their healthcare provider. Trizivir® (Retrovir + Epivir + Ziagen), by GlaxoSmithKline 2000 One tablet (contains 300mg Retrovir + 150mg Epivir + 300mg Ziagen), twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day). No food restrictions: take with or without food. Notes: Trizivir should not be used in patients who weigh less than 90 pounds.   See special notes or warnings for Retrovir, Epivir and Ziagen. Truvada® (Viread + Emtriva), by Gilead Sciences 2004 One tablet (contains 300mg Viread + 200mg Emtriva), once a day. No food restrictions: take with or without food. See special notes or warnings for Viread and Emtriva. Videx® (didanosine; ddI): buffered versions, by Bristol-Myers Squibb 1991 Two 100mg tablets twice a day* (a total of 4 pills a day), or two 200mg tablets, once a day (a total of 2 pills a day). For patients weighing less than 133 lbs, talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate dosage. Take on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after & 30 minutes before a meal). Avoid alcohol. See notes for more information. Warnings: Can cause damage to the pancreas (pancreatitis); lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood); or fatty liver.   Notes: Clinical data supports twice-daily dosing as more effective. The buffered versions of Videx should not be taken at the same time as any of the protease inhibitors (PIs); PIs should be taken two hours before or two hours after Videx. The NNRTI, Rescriptor, should be taken at least one hour before or one hour after Videx. Videx® EC (didanosine; ddI): delayed-release capsules, by Bristol-Myers Squibb 2000 One 400mg capsule once a day. For patients weighing less than 133 lbs, the dose is one 250mg capsule once a day. Take Videx EC on an empty stomach (2 hours after & 1 hour before a meal). Avoid alcohol. Seen notes for more information. Warnings: Can cause damage to the pancreas (pancreatitis); lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood); or fatty liver.   Notes: Videx EC should be taken at least two hours after or two hours before Aptivus. Viread® (tenofovir DF, TDF), by Gilead Sciences 2001 One 300 mg tablet once a day. No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Can cause lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood); fatty liver; people with hepatitis B (HBV) should speak to their healthcare provider.   Notes:  If taken with ddI (Videx or Videx EC), it can increase ddI levels in the blood by as much as 60%, causing increased ddI side effects. Zerit® (stavudine; d4T), by Bristol-Myers Squibb 1994 One 40mg capsule, every 12 hours (a total of 2 pills a day). For patients weighing less than 133 lbs, talk to your healthcare provider about appropriate dosage. No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Can cause lactic acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood) which has been fatal in pregnant women when combined with Videx/Videx EC; fatty liver; or damage to the pancreas (when combined with Videx/Videx EC).   Notes: Zerit should not be taken in combination with Retrovir, Combivir or Trizivir. Ziagen® (abacavir, ABC), by GlaxoSmithKline 1998 One 300mg tablet twice a day, or two tablets once a day (a total of 2 pills a day). No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings:  Can cause hypersensitivity reactions** (severe allergic reactions whose symptoms include fever; rash; severe nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain; sore throat; cough; and shortness of breath); lactic acidosic (buildup of acid in the blood); or fatty liver.   **It is important if you have any of these symptoms to call your doctor right away. Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (non-nukes for short, abbreviation: NNRTI)  Brand name (generic name, abbreviation) Picture Year Approved Single Dose: Adults*   Food and fluid restrictions: Special notes or warnings Atripla™ (Sustiva* + Viread + Emtriva), by Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb * Viread and Emtriva are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs).   2006 One tablet (contains 600mg Sustiva + 300mg Viread + 200mg Emtriva), once a day (a total of one pill a day). It is recommended that Atripla be taken on an empty stomach.   Notes: Dose should be taken at bedtime to minimize dizziness, drowsiness and impaired concentration.   See special notes or warnings for Sustiva, Viread and Emtriva. Intelence™(etravirine, ETV; formerly known as TMC125), by Tibotec Therapeutics   2008 Two 100mg tablets taken twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day). Take with food. Warnings: Severe and potentially life-threatening skin reactions have been reported. Discontinue treatment if severe rash develops. Rescriptor® (delavirdine, DLV), by Pfizer 1997 Two 200mg tablets, three times a day (a total of 6 pills a day). No food restrictions: take with or without food. Notes: Rescriptor can increase the blood levels of all of the available protease inhibitors (PIs), so the dose of a PI being used may need to be decreased. Do not take buffered Videx tablets–or anything containing an antacid-within one hour of a dose of Rescriptor. Both antacids and Videx tablets (which contain an antacid) can block Rescriptor from being absorbed into the bloodstream. Sustiva® (efavirenz, EFV), by Bristol-Myers Squibb 1998 One 600mg tablet once a day (just 1 pill a day). It is recommended that Sustiva be taken on an empty stomach. Notes: It is recommended that dose should be taken at bedtime to minimize dizziness, drowsiness and impaired concentration.   If Sustiva is taken with the protease inhibitors Reyataz, Invirase, Kaletra, Crixivan, Agenerase, or Lexiva, their doses may need to be increased or they may need to be combined with a low dose of Norvir (e.g., 100 mg) to help maintain necessary drug levels in the bloodstream. Viramune® (nevirapine, NVP), by Boehringer Ingelheim 1996 One 200mg tablet per day for 14 days, then one 200mg tablet, twice a day* (a total of 2 pills a day).   *Once-daily dosing recommendation based on limited clinical data. No food restrictions: take with or without food. Warnings: Viramune can cause severe, life-threatening liver problems, notably among women with T-cell counts greater than 250; can cause severe skin reactions (rash); careful dosing and monitoring needed at start of treatment.   Notes: If Viramune is taken with the protease inhibitors Reyataz, Invirase, Kaletra, Crixivan, Agenerase, or Lexiva, their doses may need to be increased or they may need to be combined with a low dose of Norvir (e.g., 100 mg) to help maintain necessary drug levels in the bloodstream. Protease Inhibitors (abbreviation: PI)   Brand name (generic name, abbreviation) Picture Year Approved Single Dose: Adults*   Food and fluid restrictions: Special notes or warnings Aptivus® (tipranavir, TPV), by Boehringer Ingelheim 2005 Two 250mg capsules plus two 100mg Norvir capsules, twice a day (a total of 8 pills a day). Aptivus and Norvir should be taken with food, preferably a full nutritious meal (e.g., breakfast and dinner). Warnings:  Can cause bleeding in the brain; hepatitis (people coinfected with hepatitis B or hepatitis C should speak to their healthcare provider).   Notes: Aptivus/Norvir should not be taken with other protease inhibitors. If taken with ddI (Videx or Videx EC), Aptivus/Norvir should be taken at least two hours before or two hours after taking ddI. Crixivan® (indinavir, IDV), by Merck & Co. 1996 Two 400mg capsules, every 8 hours (a total of 6 pills a day), or two 400mg Crixivan capsules with either one or two 100mg Norvir capsules twice a day (preferred dosing). Without Norvir: Take on an empty stomach (no food two hours before or one hour after dosing), or with a light, low-fat snack. With Norvir: Take with or without food. Notes: Drink at least 48 ounces (six 8-oz. glasses) of water daily to prevent kidney stones. Invirase® (saquinavir, SQV), by Roche Laboratories 1995 Invirase must be used in combination with Norvir. The approved dose is two 500mg Invirase tablets plus one 100mg Norvir capsule, twice a day (a total of 6 pills a day). Invirase and Norvir should be taken with food, preferably a full nutritious meal (e.g., breakfast and dinner), or within 2 hours after a meal. Note: Invirase must be taken in combination with Norvir (100mg). Kaletra® (lopinavir + ritonavir, LPV/RTV), by Abbott Laboratories 2000 Two tablets, twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day), or, if starting therapy for the first time, four tablets once a day (see Notes for exceptions). Each tablet contains 200mg lopinavir + 50mg ritonavir. No food restrictions:  take with or without food. Does not need to be refrigerated.   Notes: Sustiva, Viramune, Lexiva, and Viracept may lower the amount of Kaletra in the bloodstream. If you have tried and failed other anti-HIV medications in the past, especially other protease inhibitors, it may be necessary to increase your dose of Kaletra if you are also taking any of these four drugs (three tablets twice a day). Kaletra should not be taken once-daily with these drugs. Lexiva® (fosamprenavir, fos-APV), by GlaxoSmithKline 2003 Two 700mg tablets, twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day), or two 700mg tablets plus two 100mg Norvir capsules, once a day (a total of 4 pills a day), or one 700mg tablet plus one 100mg Norvir capsule twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day)*.   *This last dosing option should be used for patients who have tried and failed other protease inhibitors in the past. No food restrictions:  take with or without food. Notes: patients who have previously taken a protease inhibitor should take one 700mg tablet plus one 100mg Norvir capsule twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day). Norvir® (ritonavir, RTV), by Abbott Laboratories 1996 Six 100mg capsules, twice a day* (a total of 12 pills a day). Start with 3 capsules, twice a day, and increase to full dose over 14 days.   *Note: the full dose of Norvir is almost never used today. Norvir is  usually taken at much lower doses to "boost" the levels of other protease inhibitors. Take with food. High-fat snacks may reduce side effects. Warning: Taking Norvir with certain allergy medications, sedatives, heart medications, and migraine medications can increase the risk of their side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider about all the medications you are taking. Notes: Capsules and oral solution may be stored at room temperature, but should be refrigerated in hot weather. Solution can be mixed with chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream, or Ensure® to mask the taste. Prezista™ (darunavir) by Tibotec Therapeutics. 2006 Prezista must be used in combination with Norvir. The approved dose is two 300mg Prezista tablets plus one 100mg Norvir capsule, twice a day (a total of 6 pills a day). Prezista and Norvir should be taken with food, although the type and amount of food does not matter. Notes: If taken with ddI (Videx or Videx EC), Prezista/Norvir should be taken at least two hours before or one hour after taking ddI. Reyataz® (atazanavir, ATV), by Bristol-Myers Squibb   2003 Two 200mg capsules, once a day (a total of 2 pills a day), or one 300mg capsule plus one 100mg Norvir capsule, once a day (a total of 2 pills a day). Take with a light me