Apricitabine is currently being developed by Avexa Limited, an Australian pharmaceutical company.
Our quick-reference chart allows you to compare all the currently available anti-HIV drugs, including dosing, side effects, & dietary restrictions.
Treatment News
Search for recent news and archived stories about
apricitabine.
Have more questions? Then post a question or comment in our Community Forums.
Check My Meds allows you to take the preventive step of determining whether the drugs you are taking interact with each other, or interact with a certain food, and cause a bad reaction in your body.
Our Lessons: Check out our informative Lessons covering various topics to help you make treatment decisions.
For a list of great books about living with HIV and making informed treatment decisions, along with easy links to buy them from Amazon.com, click here.
For a list of magazines, including POZ, the nation's leading magazine covering HIV and AIDS, click here.
Apricitabine is being developed by Avexa, an Australian pharmaceutical company. The drug was first developed by BioChem Pharma (where it was called BCH10618). BioChem Pharma was then sold the Shire Pharmaceuticals (where the drug was called SPD754). Shire then sold the rights to develop the drug to Avexa.
Apricitabine has not yet been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
What is already known about apricitabine?
Apricitabine is an anti-HIV medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Apricitabine prevents HIV from entering the nucleus of healthy T-cells. This prevents the cells from producing new virus and decreases the amount of virus in the body.
Apricitabine's chemical structure is similar to that of Epivir (3TC) and Emtriva (emtricitabine).
The current dose being studied is 800 mg, twice daily.
Like other NRTIs, apricitabine might interact with other medications, including those used to treat HIV. It is important that your personal physician and/or the research nurse or study investigator be aware of all drugs you are taking, including those you buy without a prescription.
According to test tube studies, apricitabine may be active against strains of the virus already resistant to other NRTIs, including Retrovir (AZT) and Epivir. Early clinical trial results also suggest that it is active against Epivir-resistant HIV. Test tube studies also suggest that apricitabine can cause the K65R mutation, which can cause resistance to Videx (ddI) and Viread (tenofovir).
Apricitabine is currently being investigated in a Phase III study to determine potential side effects and antiviral activity.
What about drug interactions?
Thus far, apricitabine has only been studied in combination with Epivir. A study has determined that Epivir can decrease the amount of apricitabine inside cells, meaning that apricitabine cannot be combined with Epivir or Emtriva.
Other studies are being conducted or developed to further explore apricitabine's interactions with other medications used to treat HIV, HIV-related problems and other diseases.
What is known about side effects?
The most common side effects reported so far with apricitabine were nasal congestion, chest congestion, nausea, diarrhea and modest increases in triglycerides. These side effects occurred at roughly the same rate in people taking apricitabine and those taking Epivir.
Other studies are being conducted or developed to further explore apricitabine's side effects.
Who should not take apricitabine?
It is not known whether apricitabine will harm an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting your baby. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
It is not known whether apricitabine passes into breast milk and what effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breast-feed.
Where can I learn more about clinical trials of apricitabine?
If you would like to find out if you are eligible for any clinical trials that include apricitabine, there is an interactive web site run by ACRIA, the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America.
Another useful service for finding clinical trials is AIDSinfo.nih.gov, a site run by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They have "health information specialists" you can talk to at their toll-free number at 1-800-HIV-0440 (1-800-448-0440).
Last Revised: March 27, 2009
This content is written by the editorial team at AIDSmeds.com.
Please find profiles of this team on our "About Us" page.
apricitabine
belongs to a class of anti-HIV drugs called 
Check My Meds
Like other NRTIs, apricitabine might interact with other medications, including those used to treat HIV. It is important that your personal physician and/or the research nurse or study investigator be aware of all drugs you are taking, including those you buy without a prescription.
It is not known whether apricitabine will harm an unborn baby. It is very important to treat HIV/AIDS during pregnancy to reduce the risk of infecting your baby. Talk to your doctor about your treatment options.
It is not known whether apricitabine passes into breast milk and what effect it may have on a nursing baby. To prevent transmission of the virus to uninfected babies, it is recommended that HIV-positive mothers not breast-feed.