Facts about Antiviral Drugs

Active substance: Tipranavir

Manufacturer: Boehringer-Ingelheim (Germany / USA)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that APTIVUS is not a cure for HIV-1 infection and that they may continue to develop opportunistic infections and other complications associated with HIV disease. The long-term effects of APTIVUS are unknown at this time."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Adverse Reactions Reported in Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trials (1182.12 and 1182.48) Based on Treatment-Emergent Clinical Adverse Reactions of Moderate to Severe Intensity (Grades 2 - 4) in at least 2% of Treatment-Experienced Subjects in either Treatment Groupa (48 week Analyses): Neutropenia: 2.0% (2.0)”

“Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: thrombocytopenia”

Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells.
Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow.

The above has been extracted from the Aptivus patient information on the Boehringer-Ingelheim webpages.

Active substance: Efivarenz + Emtricitabine + Tenofovir

Manufacturer: Bristol-Myers Squibb (UK) / Gilead (USA)

Extract from the patient information: "ATRIPLA is not a cure for HIV infection and patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should remain under the care of a physician when using ATRIPLA."

The above has been extracted from the Atripla prescribing information on the Gilead webpages.

Active substance: Lamivudine + Zidovudine

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "COMBIVIR is not a cure for HIV infection and patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should be advised that the use of COMBIVIR has not been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV to others through sexual contact or blood contamination."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Zidovudine, one of the two active ingredients in Combivir, has been associated with hematologic toxicity including neutropenia and severe anemia, particularly in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease. Patients should be informed that the important toxicities associated with zidovudine are neutropenia and/or anemia.”

Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells.
Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow.

The above has been extracted from the Combivir patient information on the GlaxoSmithKline webpages.

Active substance: Enfuvirtide

Manufacturer: Roche (Switzerland)

Extract from the patient information: "FUZEON does not cure HIV infection or AIDS. People taking FUZEON may still get opportunistic infections or other conditions that can happen with HIV infection."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Blood and Lymphatic Disorders: thrombocytopenia; neutropenia;”

Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow.
Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells.

The above text has been extracted from Fuzeon information on the Roche website.

Active substance: Saquanavir

Manufacturer: Roche (Switzerland)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that INVIRASE is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to acquire illnesses associated with advanced HIV infection, including opportunistic infections."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Hematologic: anemia, bleeding dermal, haemolytic anemia, leucopenia, microhemorrhages, neutropenia, pancytopenia, splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenia leading to death.”

Leucopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells
Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells.

Pancytopenia = Low levels of all blood cells (i.e. red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Invirase prescribing information on the Roche webpages.

Active substance: Lopinavir + Ritonavir

Manufacturer: Abbott Laboratories (USA)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that KALETRA is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to develop opportunistic infections and other complications associated with HIV disease. The long-term effects of KALETRA are unknown at this time."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Hemic and Lymphatic System: Anemia, leukopenia, and lymphadenopathy.”

Leucopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells

The above has been extracted from the Kaletra prescribing information on the Abbott Laboratories webpages.

Active substance: Abacavir+ Lamivudine

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "EPZICOM is not a cure for HIV infection and patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should remain under the care of a physician when using EPZICOM. Advise patients that the use of EPZICOM has not been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV to others through sexual contact or blood contamination."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Laboratory abnormalities associated with hypersensitivity to abacavir in some patients include elevated liver function tests, elevated creatine phosphokinase, elevated creatinine, and lymphopenia.”

Lymphopenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells

The above has been extracted from the Epzicom prescribing information on the GlaxoSmithKline webpages.

Active substance: Ritonavir

Manufacturer: Abbott Laboratories (USA)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that NORVIR is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to acquire illnesses associated with advanced HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should be told that the long-term effects of NORVIR are unknown at this time."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Hemic and Lymphatic System: Acute myeloblastic leukaemia, anemia, ecchymosis, leukopenia, lymphadenopathy, lymphocytosis, myeloproliferative disorder, and thrombocytopenia.”

Leukopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells
Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Norvir prescribing information on the Abbott Laboratories webpages.

Active substance: Delavirdine

Manufacturer: Pfizer (USA) / Roche (Switzerland)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that RESCRIPTOR is not a cure for HIV-1 infection and that they may continue to acquire illnesses associated with HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections. Treatment with RESCRIPTOR has not been shown to reduce the incidence or frequency of such illnesses, and patients should be advised to remain under the care of a physician when using RESCRIPTOR. Patients should be advised that the use of RESCRIPTOR has not been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV-1."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Hemic and Lymphatic System: Adenopathy, bruising, eosinophilia, granulocytosis, leukopenia, pancytopenia, purpura, spleen disorder, thrombocytopenia, and prolonged prothrombin time..”

Leukopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells
Pancytopenia = Low levels of all blood cells (i.e. red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow
Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Rescriptor prescribing information on the Pfizer webpages.

Active substance: Zidovudine

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "RETROVIR is not a cure for HIV infection, and patients may continue to acquire illnesses associated with HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Therefore, patients should be advised to seek medical care for any significant change in their health status."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Retrovir (Zidovudine) has been associated with hematologic toxicity including neutropenia and severe anemia particularly in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease.”
“In patients with advanced symptomatic HIV disease, anemia and neutropenia were the most significant adverse events observed. There have been reports of pancytopenia associated with the use of RETROVIR, which was reversible in most instances after discontinuance of the drug.”

Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells
Pancytopenia = Low levels of all blood cells (i.e. red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Retrovir prescribing information on the GlaxoSmithKline webpages.

Active substance: Atazanavir

Manufacturer: Bristol-Myers Squibb (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that REYATAZ is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to develop opportunistic infections and other complications associated with HIV disease. Patients should be told that there are currently no data demonstrating that therapy with REYATAZ can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others through sexual contact."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Patients developing signs or symptoms of severe skin reactions or hypersensitivity reactions (including, but not limited to, severe rash or rash accompanied by one or more of the following: fever, general malaise, muscle or joint aches, blisters, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial edema, hepatitis, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, and renal dysfunction) must discontinue REYATAZ and seek medical evaluation immediately.”

Granulocytopenia = Low levels of granulocytes – a subtype of white blood cells (leucocytes) responsible for immune defence against infections – due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Reyataz prescribing information on the Bristol-Myers Squibb webpages.

Active substance: Efivarenz

Manufacturer: Bristol-Myers Squibb (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that SUSTIVA is not a cure for HIV-1 infection and that they may continue to develop opportunistic infections and other complications associated with HIV-1 disease. Patients should be told that there are currently no data demonstrating that SUSTIVA therapy can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others through sexual contact or blood contamination."

The above has been extracted from the Sustiva prescribing information on the Bristol-Myers Squibb webpages.

Active substance: Fosamprenavir

Manufacturer: Bristol-Myers Squibb (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "Patients should be informed that LEXIVA is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to develop opportunistic infections and other complications associated with HIV disease. The long-term effects of LEXIVA are unknown at this time. Patients should be told that there are currently no data demonstrating that therapy with LEXIVA can reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“A complete blood count should be performed weekly and as clinically indicated to monitor for neutropenia.”

Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells

The above has been extracted from the Lexiva prescribing information on the GlaxoSmithKline webpages.

Active substance: Nelfinavir

Manufacturer: Pfizer (USA) / Roche (Switzerland)

Extract from the patient information: "VIRACEPT is not a cure for HIV infection or AIDS. People taking VIRACEPT may still develop opportunistic infections or other conditions associated with HIV infection. Some of these conditions are pneumonia, herpes virus infections, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infections, and Kaposi’s sarcoma."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“The side effects observed in children and adults receiving VIRACEPT are similar. Diarrhea was also the most common side effect seen in children. Some children experienced low white blood cells (leukopenia/neutropenia), which resolved without treatment interruption in most cases.”

Leukopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells
Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells

The above has been extracted from the Viracept prescribing information on the Pfizer webpages.

Active substance: Nevirapine

Manufacturer: Boehringer-Ingelheim (Germany / USA)

Extract from the patient information: "VIRAMUNE is not a cure for HIV-1 infection; patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with advanced HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should be advised to remain under the care of a physician when using VIRAMUNE."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Patients developing signs or symptoms of severe skin reactions or hypersensitivity reactions (including, but not limited to, severe rash or rash accompanied by fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial edema, and/or hepatitis, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, and renal dysfunction) must permanently discontinue VIRAMUNE and seek medical evaluation immediately.”

Granulocytopenia = Low levels of granulocytes – a subtype of white blood cells (leucocytes) responsible for immune defence against infections – due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow

The above has been extracted from the Viramune prescribing information on the Boehringer-Ingelheim webpages.

Active substance: Abacavir

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline (UK)

Extract from the patient information: "ZIAGEN is not a cure for HIV infection and patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should remain under the care of a physician when using ZIAGEN. Patients should be advised that the use of ZIAGEN has not been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of HIV to others through sexual contact or blood contamination."

Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Laboratory abnormalities include elevated liver function tests, increased creatine phosphokinase or creatinine, and lymphopenia.”

Lymphopenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells

The above has been extracted from the Ziagen prescribing information on the GlaxoSmithKline webpages.