The
FDA reviewed and approved APTIVUS within a six month time
frame.
Translation:
After years of development and clinical trials, a drug
manufacturer has received accelerated approval for its
new protease inhibitor Aptivus (tipranavir). The new drug
is targeted to those HIV infected people who have been
on medications in the past and have developed resistance
to currently available therapies.
What
is the dosage of Aptivus?
Aptivus is supplied in 250mg soft gel capsules. Two of
capsules will be taken along with two 100mg capsules of
Norvir twice daily. Aptivus must be taken or boosted with
the 200mg of Norvir in order for it to be effective. Aptivus
is also to be taken with food!
Side
Effects Include:
rash
diarrhea
nausea
vomiting
headache
elevated liver enzymes and liver toxicity
Precautions and or Drug
Interactions:
Like many medications, there are some precautions prescribers
and users must be aware of before starting Aptivus. They
include:
Liver toxicity: patients with known liver disease or insufficiency,
including those with hepatitis a, b, or c should use Aptivus
with extreme caution due to the incidence of liver toxicity
caused by Aptivus.
Sulfa Allergy: patients with sulfa or Bactrim allergies
should use Apivus with caution due to sulfa components
in the drug that may trigger symptoms of sulfa allergy.
Drug interactions: many drugs such as St. John's Wort,
anti-arrhythmic drugs, cholesterol lowering drugs, migraine
medicines, and herbal remedies can have serious interaction
with Aptivus. The prescribing physician should be made
aware of all medications and herbal products being taken
prior to prescribing Aptivus.
Birth control pills and patches: additional methods of
birth control should be used when taking Aptivus
due to decreased affectiveness of birth control pills
and patches caused by this drug.
Aptivus
(tipranavir) should be available in pharmacies within
a few weeks. Please note that until this new drug appears
in drug formularies, insurance coverage may be delayed.
This drug should be in formularies within a month or two.
