Which Are The Easiest Drug Combinations? (A Look At Fewer Pills and Once-A-Day Dosing) en español

Simplifying NRTIs

NRTI	Approved Dose	Simplification Tip	Looking Ahead
Atripla™ (Sustiva + Viread + Emtriva)	One tablet (contains 300mg Viread® + 200mg Emtriva® + 600mg Sustiva®*), once a day (a total of one pill a day). * Sustiva is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)	This is the simplest complete drug regimen available to HIV-positive people. For people who are using Truvada® (or Viread plus Emtriva used separately) plus Sustiva, 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 Viread, Emtriva, and Sustiva can be made easier to take.
Combivir® (Retrovir + Epivir)	One tablet (contains 300mg Retrovir® + 150mg Epivir®), twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day).	Retrovir (zidovudine) and Epivir (lamivudine) have long been popular NRTIs to use together and to combine with other anti-HIV drugs (usually a protease inhibitor or an NNRTI). Combivir represents a simplified way to take both of these drugs at the same time: one pill taken twice a day.	Combivir will not allow for once-daily dosing. While Epivir has been approved as a once-daily drug, the Retrovir in Combivir must be taken at least twice a day.
Epivir® (lamivudine; 3TC)	One 300mg tablet, once a day, or one 150mg tablet, twice a day (a total of 1 or 2 pills a day).	For several years, Epivir involved taking one 150mg tablet twice a day. Now it is possible to take one 300mg tablet once a day. If Epivir is combined with Retrovir®, your doctor can prescribe Combivir®, which combines single doses of Epivir and Retrovir into one tablet (taken twice a day). If Epivir is combined with both Retrovir and Ziagen® (another NRTI), you may wish to take Trizivir®, a tablet that contains single doses of all three drugs (taken twice a day). If Epivir is combined with Ziagen – without Retrovir – you may wish to take Epzicom™, a tablet that contains single doses of both drugs and only needs to be taken once a day.	At one pill once a day, along with the availability of Epivir in several fixed-dose combinations (Combivir, Trizivir, and Epzicom), it's not likely that Epivir can be made easier to take.
Emtriva® (emtricitabine)	One 200mg tablet, once a day.	The one-pill-once-daily formulation of Emtriva has made this drug one of the easiest anti-HIV treatments available. If Emtriva is combined with Viread®, your doctor can prescribe Truvada®. If Emtriva is combined with Viread and Sustiva®, your doctor can prescribed Atripla™.	At one pill once a day, along with the availability of Emtriva in the fixed-dose combination tablets Truvada and Atripla, it's not likely that Emtriva can be made easier to take.
Epzicom™ (Ziagen + Epivir)	One tablet (contains 600mg Ziagen® and 300mg Epivir®), once a day.	Epzicom represents a simplified way to take both Ziagen and Epivir at the same time: one pill taken once a day.	At one pill once a day, it's not likely that Epzicom – or Ziagen/Epivir combined – can be made easier to take.
Hivid® (zalcitabine; ddC)	One 0.75mg tablet, every 8 hours (a total of 3 pills a day).	Hivid should be taken using the approved dosing schedule.	The manufacturer has announced that it will suspend production of Hivid sometime in 2006.
Retrovir® (zidovudine; AZT)	One 300mg tablet, twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day).	Retrovir is always combined with at least one other NRTI. If Retrovir is combined with Epivir®, your doctor can prescribe Combivir®, which combines single doses of Retrovir and Epivir into one tablet. If Retrovir in combined with both Epivir and Ziagen® (another NRTI), you may wish to take Trizivir®, a tablet that contains single doses of all three drugs. Combivir and Trizivir must still be taken twice a day.	The manufacturer of Retrovir is currently studying whether taking 600mg once a day will work as well as taking 300mg twice a day.
Trizivir® (Retrovir + Ziagen + Epivir)	One tablet (contains 300mg Retrovir® + 150mg Epivir® + 300mg Ziagen®), twice a day (a total of 2 pills a day).	For some people, Trizivir is a "complete" anti-HIV drug regimen. However, Trizivir alone is rarely recommended anymore for HIV-positive people starting therapy for the first time. In clinical trials, people using Trizivir alone were more likely to experience rebounds in viral load than people using either a PI or NNRTI plus two NRTIs. In turn, if Trizivir is prescribed, it is probably best to use it in combination with either a PI or an NNRTI.	Trizivir will not allow for once-daily dosing. While Epivir and Ziagen can be taken once a day, Retrovir cannot. In turn, Trizivir must be taken twice a day.
Truvada® (Viread + Emtriva)	One tablet (contains 300mg Viread® and 200mg Emtriva®), once a day.	Truvada represents a simplified way to take both Viread and Emtriva at the same time: one pill taken once a day. If Viread and Emtriva is combined with Sustiva®, your doctor can prescribed Atripla™.	At one pill once a day, along with the availability of Truvada in the fixed-dose combination tablet Atripla, it's not likely that Truvada can be made easier to take.
Videx® & Videx® EC (didanosine; ddI)	Videx is available as a tablet or capsule (pictured). Videx tablets: Two 100mg tablets twice a day (a total of 4 pills a day), or two 200mg tablets once a day (a total of 2 pills a day). Videx EC capsules: One 400mg capsule once a day. Videx & Videx EC should always be taken on an empty stomach (no food 2 hours before or 1 hour after taking Videx). Only Videx EC can be taken at the same time as some other medications.	Videx EC capsules are considered to be the easiest to take. Even though Videx EC must be taken on an empty stomach, it only needs to be taken once a day and can be taken at the same time as some other medications.	At one pill once a day, it's not likely that Videx EC can be made easier to take.
Viread® (tenofovir DF)	One 300mg tablet once a day.	The one-pill-once-daily formulation of Viread has made this drug one of the easiest anti-HIV treatments available. Viread is almost always combined with at least one other NRTI. If Viread is combined with Emtriva®, your doctor can prescribe Truvada®. If Emtriva is combined with Viread and Sustiva®, your doctor can prescribed Atripla™.	At one pill once a day, along with the availability of Viread in the fixed-dose combination tablets Truvada and Atripla, it's not likely that Viread can be made easier to take.
Zerit® (stavudine; d4T)	One Zerit capsule twice a day. (If you weigh 132 pounds or more, the correct dose is 40mg twice-daily; if you weigh less than 132 pounds, the correct dose is 30mg twice a day.)	At the present time, there is no simplified dosing schedule for Zerit; it must be taken twice a day.	The manufacturer has been developing a once-daily formulation of stavudine called Zerit XR. While Zerit XR is approved by the FDA, it is not yet available through pharmacies. The correct Zerit XR dose, if/when it becomes available, will likely be one 100mg capsule a day.
Ziagen® (abacavir)	One 300mg tablet twice a day or two 600mg tablets once a day (a total of two tablets a day).	Ziagen can now be taken once a day (two 600mg tablets once a day); in the past it needed to be taken twice a day. If Ziagen is combined with both Retrovir® and Epivir®, you may wish to take Trizivir®, a tablet that contains single doses of all three drugs and needs to be taken twice a day. If Ziagen is combined with Epivir – without Retrovir – you may wish to take Epzicom™, a once-a-day tablet that contains single doses of both drugs.	Now that Ziagen can be taken once a day and is available in two fixed-dose combination tablets (Epzicom and Trizivir), it's not likely that Ziagen can be made easier to take.

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