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Nevirapine

viramune.jpg

Nevirapine, as an alternative to efavirenz, is the non-nucleoside (NNRTI) often included in first-line regimens.

It is the preferable NNRTI for women who may become pregnant or anyone who can not deal with the largely psychotropic side-effects of efavirenz.

Nevirapine-based regimens have shown efficacy(Of a drug or treatment). The maximum ability of a drug or treatment to produce a result regardless of dosage. A drug passes efficacy trials if it is effective at the dose tested and against the illness for which it is prescribed. In the standard procedure, Phase II clinical trials gauge efficacy, and Phase III trials confirm it. in both treatmant naive patients as well as those with substantial treatment experience, making it an option for the construction of salvage[salvage therapy] A treatment strategy for managing HIV in people who have developed resistance to existing therapies. treatment regimens.

Generic name: nevirapine (NVP)
Pronunciation:na-VY-ra-peen
Brand name:Viramune
Drug class:non-nucleoside
Pregnancy safe?Safe for use in pregnancy.
Pediatric dosing?Available in doses suitable for children and/or young people.
Availability in Australia:
  • Available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) through S100 prescribers.
  • This drug may be available through clinical trials in Australia.
  • You may be able to import this drug from overseas for your personal use.
Presentation:200mg tablet.
What the treatment guidelines say:

Not recommended for patients with moderate-to-severe hepatic impairment. In addition, a high CD4 cell count in treatment-naive patients (over 250 in women and 400 in men) indicates that nevirapine should be used with great caution and only if other options are not appropriate because the risk of a hypersensitivity reaction to nevirapine is greatest in those with high CD4 cell counts prior to therapy.

Links:

Like most anti-HIV drugs, nevirapine must be taken in combination with other drugs to be completely effective. Commonly, nevirapine is combined with two nucleoside (NRTI) drugs, although other combinations are sometimes used. Your doctor will advise you on the right combination of drugs to suit your circumstances.

Dosage

The usual adult dose is one 200mg tablet taken twice a day. Some studies have suggested that nevirapine could be taken once a day (two 200mg tablets taken at the same time), however the effectiveness(Of a drug or treatment). The maximum ability of a drug or treatment to produce a result regardless of dosage. A drug passes efficacy trials if it is effective at the dose tested and against the illness for which it is prescribed. In the standard procedure, Phase II clinical trials gauge efficacy, and Phase III trials confirm it. of this dosing has not been proven and it is recommended that the twice-daily dosing be used.

Starting dose: people starting nevirapine for the first time are normally asked to taken one tablet per day for the first 14 days, increasing to two tablets per day after that.

Regardless of what you read on this website or elsewhere, you should always take your medications according to your doctor's instructions. If you're unsure, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

With or without food?

Nevirapine may be taken with or without food.

Side effects

All drugs can produce side effects in some people. These may be mild, moderate or severe, so you should be aware of potential side effects before starting any drug, and speak to your doctor if you experience side effects that concern you.

  • Common side effects may include skin rash.
  • Less common side effects may include headaches, high blood pressure.
  • Rare side effects may include liver damage, Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

    • It's unlikely you will experience all of these side effects, and you may not experience any side effects at all. Before starting any new drug, ask your doctor about side effects you might experience and discuss strategies for dealing with side effects if they do occur. If you experience any significant side effect you should continue taking your medicine and see your doctor as soon as possible.

Interactions with other drugs

Make sure that your health care provider knows about ALL drugs and supplements you are taking. Drugs to watch out for include other ARVs, anti-fungal drugs, antimicrobial agents, cimetide, drugs to treat tuberculosis , those for heart rhythm (antiarrhythmics), and for migraine headaches. Interactions are also possible with several antihistamines (allergy medications), sedatives, and drugs to lower cholesterol. Nevirapine lowers blood levels of some birth control medications, which could make them ineffective. Nevirapine lowers blood levels of methadone. Nevirapine can lower concentrations of buprenorphine. The herb St. John's wort lowers the blood levels of some non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Do not take it with nevirapine.
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Switch to nevirapine at any count

Positive Living article • www.aidsmap.com • 2 December 2010

People with HIV who have an undetectable viral loadA measurement of the quantity of HIV RNA in the blood. Viral load blood test results are expressed as the number of copies (of HIV) per milliliter of blood plasma. can safely switch to nevirapine (Viramune) at any CD4 cell count, the European Medicines Agency has concluded. read more »

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The 10th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections took place in Boston in February. This annual conference is a very highly regarded event with a strong scientific focus, so it often produces a number of important advances in our understanding of HIV and its treatment, and this year was no exception. read more »

The table below shows all the clinical trials in the database with the keyword nevirapine.

Short titleStatus
VERxVE (fast and slow release nevirapine) Fully enrolled
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This Treatments database entry was first published on 30 March 2009 — more than two years ago.

While the content of this treatments database entry was checked for accuracy at the time of publication, NAPWA recommends checking to determine whether the information is the most up-to-date available, especially when making decisions which may affect your health.

This article may contain medical information. NAPWA makes every reasonable effort to ensure the information on this website is accurate, reliable and up-to-date, including obtaining technical reviews by medically-qualified reviewers, however the authors of information on this website are not qualified to give medical advice, except where explicitly stated.

The content of this website is intended to support, not replace, the relationship between people living with HIV/AIDS and their medical advisers, and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

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