An Overview of Prezista (Darunavir, TMC114)

dar-UE-na-vir

Brand Name: Prezista
Other Name(s): DRV, darunavir ethanolate
Drug Class: Protease Inhibitors
Approved Use: Treatment of HIV Infection

What is darunavir?

Darunavir is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children 3 years of age and older. Darunavir is always used in combination with the anti-HIV medicine ritonavir (brand name: Norvir) and other anti-HIV medicines.

Darunavir is a type of anti-HIV medicine called a protease inhibitor (PI). Darunavir works by blocking protease, an HIV enzyme. This prevents HIV from replicating and lowers the amount of HIV in the blood.

Darunavir does not cure HIV/AIDS. It is not known if darunavir reduces the risk of passing HIV to other people.

What should I tell my health care provider before taking darunavir?

Before taking darunavir, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to darunavir, sulfa medicines, or any other medicines.
• If you have liver problems, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
• If you have high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or diabetes.
• If you have hemophilia.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Whether darunavir can harm an unborn baby is unknown. Use during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.
• If you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you are infected with HIV or are taking darunavir.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Darunavir may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how darunavir works. Taking darunavir together with certain medicines or products may cause serious side effects.

How should I take darunavir?

Darunavir comes in the following forms and strengths:

• 75-mg tablets (brand name: Prezista).
• 150-mg tablets (brand name: Prezista).
• 400-mg tablets (brand name: Prezista).
• 600-mg tablets (brand name: Prezista).
• 800-mg tablets (brand name: Prezista).
• 100-mg/mL oral suspension (brand name: Prezista).

Take darunavir according to your health care provider's instructions.

Always take darunavir in combination with the anti-HIV medicine ritonavir (brand name: Norvir) and other anti-HIV medicines.

Take darunavir and ritonavir at the same time with food. Swallow darunavir tablets whole with a drink. Take (or give) darunavir oral suspension with the oral dosing syringe that comes with the medicine. Shake the oral suspension well before each use.

If you take too much darunavir, contact your local poison control center (1-800-222-1222) or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

For more information on how to take darunavir, see the FDA drug label from DailyMed. (DailyMed is a federal website that includes the most recent drug labels submitted to FDA.)