Approval of a fixed-dose combination containing a new form of tenofovir provides another effective medication for patients with HIV-1 infection. It reduces the medication burden with a once daily regimen for patients. HIV-1 is the predominant strain of HIV that causes the vast majority of HIV infections worldwide. When people refer to HIV, they usually mean HIV-1. The new treatment is a fixed-dose combination of elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide.
The drug contains a new version of tenofovir, a powerful HIV inhibitor that has not been approved before. Because the new version (called TAF) enters HIV-infected cells more efficiently than the previous version (TDF), it can be given at a lower dose that results in 91% less tenofovir in the bloodstream. This in turn reduces the side effects of the drug too. The drug is intended for patients aged 12 and over,…
