New single tablet version of efavirenz now available in UK

Keith Alcorn
Estimated reading time 1 minutes
This article is more than 22 years old.

A single efavirenz tablet that replaces the three capsules currently prescribed has been launched in the UK by Bristol Myers Squibb.

The tablet will cost the same as the three capsule dose, a spokesman for BMS said. This means that NHS trusts will not be discouraged from adopting the new formulation.

The tablet, which looks like a large biscuit-coloured vitamin tablet, is being promoted by BMS as the latest aid to simplifying HIV therapy. The company points to the results of a study carried out amongst patients in Europe which showed that where a regimen consists of four or fewer tablets, patients would prefer to take it once a day.

Glossary

boosting agent

Booster drugs are used to ‘boost’ the effects of protease inhibitors and some other antiretrovirals. Adding a small dose of a booster drug to an antiretroviral makes the liver break down the primary drug more slowly, which means that it stays in the body for longer times or at higher levels. Without the boosting agent, the prescribed dose of the primary drug would be ineffective.

formulation

The physical form in which a drug is manufactured or administered. Examples of formulations include tablets, capsules, powders, and oral and injectable solutions. A drug may be available in multiple formulations.

pill burden

The number of tablets, capsules, or other dosage forms that a person takes on a regular basis. A high pill burden can make it difficult to adhere to an HIV treatment regimen.

However, the study also showed that as pill burden increases, the attraction of once daily therapy declines, suggesting that the most likely application of once daily therapy will be in patients taking a first or second HAART regimen that excludes a boosted protease inhibitor.

The drugs that can be taken once daily are: efavirenz, 3TC (lamivudine), tenofovir, and ddI (didanosine). Once daily dosing of nevirapine, abacavir, lopinavir, saquinavir/ritonavir and amprenavir/ritonavir is being tested.

Print