Stribild is a fixed-dose tablet combining 150mg elvitegravir, 200mg emtricitabine, and 245mg tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, along with 150mg cobicistat, a boosting agent. It is manufactured by Gilead Sciences.
Elvitegravir is an integrase inhibitor, emtricitabine is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and tenofovir is a nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NtRTI). These drugs reduce the amount of HIV in the body and prevent the development of AIDS-defining illnesses.
Effectiveness
Stribild was licensed in the United States in August 2012 and approved for use in the European Union in May 2013. For information on the studies that led to Stribild’s approval, see elvitegravir.
Taking it
The standard dose of Stribild is one green tablet, once a day, taken with food.
If you are taking medicines, oral supplements, antacids or laxatives containing minerals (such as magnesium, aluminium, calcium, iron, zinc), take them at least 4 hours before or at least 4 hours after Stribild.
Side effects
Common side effects of Stribild (occurring in at least 1% of clinical trial participants):
- headache, weakness, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, abnormal dreams, fatigue
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, indigestion, feeling bloated, constipation, flatulence
- skin rash, itching, dark skin patches (often starting on the hands or soles of feet)
- changes in some blood test results, including liver and kidney tests, glucose and cholesterol.
Drug interactions
Stribild should not be used with the following medicines:
- alpha 1-adrenoreceptor antagonists: alfuzosin
- antiarrhythmics: amiodarone, quinidine
- ergot derivatives: dihydroergotamine, ergometrine, ergotamine
- gastrointestinal motility agents: cisapride
- statins: lovastatin, simvastatin
- neuroleptics/antipsychotics: pimozide, lurasidone
- PDE-5 inhibitors: sildenafil for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension
- sedatives/hypnotics: orally administered midazolam, triazolam
- anticonvulsants: carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
- antimycobacterials: rifampicin
- herbal products: St. John's wort
- blood thinning: dabigatran etexilate
Resistance
See elvitegravir for further details.
Pregnancy
As with other agents boosted with cobicistat, the use of elvitegravir during pregnancy is not recommended due to lower drug levels during the third trimester.
Children
Stribild is approved for use in children and adolescents aged 12 and over.
Further information
For more information on Stribild's component drugs, including drug interactions, side effects and resistance, see elvitegravir (Vitekta), emtricitabine (Emtriva) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Viread).