Daily Medication Pearl: Biktarvy for HIV

Medication Pearl of the Day: Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide)

Indication: Biktarvy is a 3-drug combination of bictegravir (BIC), an HIV-1 integrase strand transfer inhibitor, and emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), both HIV-1 nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Biktarvy is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults and pediatric patients.

Insight:

• Dosing: Recommended dosage is 1 tablet taken once daily, with or without food, in patients weighing at least 25 kg.
• Dosage form: 50 mg tablets of BIC (equivalent to 52.5 mg of BIC sodium), 200 mg of FTC, and 25 mg of TAF (equivalent to 28 mg of TAF).
• Adverse events: Most common adverse events (incidence greater than or equal to 5%, all grades) are diarrhea, nausea, and headache.
• Drug interactions: Because Biktarvy is a complete regimen, coadministration with other antiretroviral medications for the treatment of HIV-1 infection is not recommended.
• Mechanism of action: Biktarvy is a fixed dose combination of antiretroviral drugs BIC, FTC, and TAF [see Microbiology].
• Manufacturer: Gilead

Sources:

• BIKTARVY® | Official HCP Website from Gilead (biktarvyhcp.com)
• biktarvy_pi.pdf (gilead.com)