Thank you for this invaluable resource.

Has there been any research into prescribing dosages base on body weight.

I am recently diagnosed and started on Complera. Would it make sense to consider different dosages for someone like me, a 135lb male, and a 200lb male? Could this help further limit potential side effects and still be effective in reducing viral load?

Hi and thanks for posting.

We get this question from time to time.

In general and for adults, medication dosing is not based on one's weight. This is because the factor that determines drug concentrations in blood is more related to the function of kidney and liver (the ways that most medications are eliminated from the body), and these organs function about the same in people of different sizes.

In early phase 2 clinical trials, the effective dose is determined in a study population of individuals- in these studies, the drug concentrations are determined across a series of different doses and compared among individuals.

I would not recommend reducing drug doses without very close supervision by a pharmacologist. Anyways, for fixed-dose combination medications like Complera (or Atripla or Stribild), there is only one strength pill available.

Hope that explains things. BY