Descovy

Descovy is a prescription medication used in combination with other medications to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It comes as a single tablet containing 2 drugs, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide.

Emtricitabine belongs to a group of drugs called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and tenofovir is a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI). These drugs work by preventing the virus from replicating.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken once daily, with or without food.

The most common side effect of Descovy is nausea. 

Descovy is part of the drug class:

• Nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that HIV-infected mothers not breastfeed their infants, to avoid risking postnatal transmission of HIV.

It is not known if Descovy affects milk production or has effects on the breastfed child. Because of the potential for: 1) HIV transmission (in HIV-negative infants); 2) developing viral resistance (in HIV-positive infants); and 3) adverse reactions in a breastfed infant similar to those seen in adults, you should not breastfeed while receiving Descovy.

If you take too much Descovy, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Do not take emtricitabine and tenofovir if you also take other medicines that contain emtricitabine, tenofovir, lamivudine, or adefovir.

Emtricitabine and tenofovir is sometimes used to reduce the risk of becoming infected with HIV. You must be HIV-negative to use emtricitabine and tenofovir for this purpose.

This medicine may cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as: muscle pain or weakness, numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting, fast or uneven heart rate, dizziness, or feeling very weak or tired.

If you have hepatitis B you may develop liver symptoms after you stop taking this medicine, even months after stopping.

You should not take this medicine if you are allergic to emtricitabine or tenofovir. Do not take if you also use other medicines that contain emtricitabine, tenofovir, lamivudine, or adefovir (such as Atripla, Combivir, Complera, Descovy, Dutrebis, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Genvoya, Hepsera, Odefsey, Stribild, Triumeq, Trizivir, or Viread).

Do not take Truvada to reduce infection risk if you are HIV-positive, if have been exposed to HIV within the past month, or if you had any symptoms (such as fever, sore throat, night sweats, swollen glands, diarrhea, body aches).

If you take Truvada to reduce your risk of HIV infection: You must have a negative HIV test immediately before you start taking the medicine. An HIV test is also required every 3 months during treatment.

To make sure this medicine is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver or kidney disease;

• osteopenia (low bone mineral density); or

• if you also have hepatitis B infection.

Some people taking this medicine develop a serious condition called lactic acidosis. This may be more likely in women, in people who are overweight or have liver disease, and in people who have taken HIV/AIDS medication for a long time. Talk with your doctor about your risk.

HIV can be passed to your baby if you are not properly treated during pregnancy. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.

You should not breast-feed while you are using this medication to treat or prevent HIV. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk.

Emtricitabine and tenofovir is not approved for anyone younger than 12 years old. The child receiving this medicine must weigh at least 37 pounds.

Take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it is almost time for your next scheduled dose. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.

In the U.S.

• Descovy

Available Dosage Forms:

• Tablet

Therapeutic Class: Antiretroviral Agent

Pharmacologic Class: Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

• It is used to treat HIV infection.

Each Descovy tablet contains 200 mg of emtricitabine (FTC) and 25 mg of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) (equivalent to 28 mg of tenofovir alafenamide fumarate). The tablets are blue, rectangular-shaped, film-coated, debossed with "GSI" on one side and "225" on the other side.

In trials of FTC+TAF with EVG+COBI in HIV-1 infected adults as initial therapy in those with no antiretroviral treatment history (N=866) and to replace a stable antiretroviral regimen in those who were virologically-suppressed for at least 6 months with no known resistance substitutions (N=799), 92% and 96% of patients in the two populations, respectively, had HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL at Week 48.

In a trial of FTC+TAF with EVG+COBI in 23 treatment-naïve HIV-1 infected pediatric patients aged 12 to less than 18 years old and weighing greater than 35 kg, the virologic response rate (i.e., HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) was 91% at 24 weeks.

In a trial in 248 HIV-1 infected adult patients with estimated creatinine clearance greater than 30 mL per minute but less than 70 mL per minute, 95% (235/248) of the combined population of treatment-naïve subjects (N=6) began on FTC+TAF with EVG+COBI and those previously virologically-suppressed on other regimens (N=242) and switched to FTC+TAF with EVG+COBI had HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL at Week 24.

You should not take Descovy if you are allergic to emtricitabine or tenofovir. Do not take if you also use other medicines that contain emtricitabine, tenofovir, lamivudine, or adefovir (such as Atripla, Combivir, Complera, Emtriva, Epivir, Epzicom, Genvoya, Hepsera, Odefsey, Stribild, Triumeq, Trizivir, Truvada, or Viread).

Do not take Descovy to reduce infection risk if you are HIV-positive, if have been exposed to HIV within the past month, or if you had any symptoms (such as fever, sore throat, night sweats, swollen glands, diarrhea, body aches).

To make sure Descovy is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• liver or kidney disease;

• osteopenia (low bone mineral density); or

• if you also have hepatitis B infection.

Some people taking Descovy develop a serious condition called lactic acidosis. This may be more likely in women, in people who are overweight or have liver disease, and in people who have taken HIV/AIDS medication for a long time. Talk with your doctor about your risk.

HIV can be passed to your baby if you are not properly treated during pregnancy. Take all of your HIV medicines as directed to control your infection.

You should not breast-feed while you are using Descovy to treat or prevent HIV. Women with HIV or AIDS should not breast-feed a baby. Even if your baby is born without HIV, the virus may be passed to the baby in your breast milk.

Descovy is not approved for anyone younger than 12 years old. The child receiving this medicine must weigh at least 37 pounds.

Applies to emtricitabine / tenofovir alafenamide: oral tablet

Along with its needed effects, emtricitabine / tenofovir alafenamide may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur while taking emtricitabine / tenofovir alafenamide:

• Abdominal or stomach discomfort
• bloody urine
• bone pain
• dark urine
• decreased appetite
• decreased frequency or amount of urine
• diarrhea
• fast, shallow breathing
• general feeling of discomfort
• increased thirst
• light-colored stools
• loss of appetite
• lower back or side pain
• muscle pain or cramping
• nausea and vomiting
• shortness of breath
• sleepiness
• swelling of the face, fingers, or lower legs
• troubled breathing
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• upper right abdominal or stomach pain
• weight gain
• yellow eyes and skin