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Lesson Which Are The Easiest Drug Combinations? (A Look At Fewer Pills and Once-A-Day Dosing)
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Simplifying NNRTIs

NNRTI Approved Dose Simplification Tip Looking Ahead
Atripla
(Sustiva + Viread + Emtriva)

One tablet (contains 600mg Sustiva® + 300mg Viread®* + 200mg Emtriva®*), once a day (a total of one pill a day).

* Viread and Emtriva are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) (see below)

This is the simplest complete drug regimen available to HIV-positive people. For people who are using Sustiva plus Truvada® (or Viread plus Emtriva used separately), or plan to use this combination of anti-HIV drugs in the future, Atripla is a very simple option to consider. At one pill once a day, it's not likely that the combination of Sustiva, Viread, and Emtriva can be made easier to take.
Rescriptor®
(delavirdine)
Two 200mg tablets, three times a day (a total of 6 pills a day). It can be taken either with or without food. The development of the 200mg tablets (Rescriptor was only available in larger, 100mg dissolvable tablets when it was first approved) has made Rescriptor easier to take for many people. However, it must still be taken three times a day. Researchers are currently testing the 200mg tablets in clinical trials to determine if they can be taken twice a day. Because the studies have not yet finished, twice-daily dosing of Rescriptor is not yet recommended.
Sustiva®
(efavirenz)
One 600mg tablet once a day (one pill a day). For people taking Sustiva + Truvada® or Sustiva + Viread® + Emtriva®, the one-pill-once-daily tablet Atripla™ can be taken. A single Atripla tablet contains the necessary daily doses of all three drugs. Sustiva also remains available for use with other anti-HIV medications. At one pill once a day, along with the availability of Sustiva in the fixed-dose combination tablet Atripla, it's not likely that Sustiva can be made easier to take.
Viramune®
(nevirapine)
One 200mg tablet per day for 14 days, then one 200mg tablet, twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day). Many healthcare providers are currently prescribing Viramune using a once-daily dosing schedule. This requires taking one 200mg tablet per day for 14 days, followed by two 200mg tablets once a day. However, this dosing schedule has not been officially approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Once the two-pills-once-a-day Viramune dosing option is officially approved, it's not likely that Viramune can be made easier to take. However, it will likely be studied in combination with other approved and experimental once-daily anti-HIV drugs in an effort to come up with entire regimens that only need to be taken once a day.

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Last Revised: August 17, 2007

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