Truvada (emtricitabine / tenofovir disoproxil) 30 tablets of 200 mg/245 mg

What is Truvada (emtricitabine / tenofovir disproxil) for?

Truvada (emtricitabine / tenofovir disoproxil) is an antiviral medicine used in combination with at least one other antiviral medicine to treat adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), a virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)^[1].

It is also used to help prevent sexually transmitted HIV-1 infection in adults who are at high risk of being infected (PrEP – pre-exposure prophylaxis). It is recommended for use in combination with safer sex practices, such as the use of condoms^[1,2], which may protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well as against HIV infection.

How does Truvada (emtricitabine / tenofovir disproxil) work?

Each tablet of Truvada (emtricitabine / tenofovir disoproxil) contains two active substances, emtricitabine (200 mg) and tenofovir disoproxil (300 mg^[4,5], 245 mg^[3] or other^[4]).

Inside the body, tenofovir disoproxil is converted into the active substance tenofovir. Tenofovir and emtricitabine block the activity of the enzyme made by the virus to reproduce itself in the cells it has infected.

For the treatment of HIV-1 infection, Truvada, taken in combination with at least one other antiviral medicine, reduces the amount of HIV in the blood and keeps it at a low level. It does not cure HIV infection or AIDS, but it can prevent damages to the immune system and the development of infections and diseases associated with AIDS^[1].

For HIV-1 infection prevention (PrEP), it is expected that Truvada in the blood will stop the virus from multiplying and spreading from the site of infection in case the individual is exposed to the virus^[1].

Both active substances have been widely authorised separately since the early 2000s.