Guides

Triumeq (dolutegravir + abacavir + 3TC)

Triumeq image

 TRI-you-mek

  • Triumeq is a single pill that combines three different HIV drugs. These are an integrase inhibitor called dolutegravir plus two RTIs (nukes) called abacavir and 3TC (lamivudine).
  • Triumeq was approved on 22 August 2014 in the US and on 3rd September 2014 in the EU.
  • NHS England announced guidelines for prescribing Triumeq (and dolutegravir) on 15 January 2015.
  • Standard adult dose (age 12 and older): 1 pill once-daily.
  • Can be taken with or without food.
  • There is a caution for drug interactions with some supplements, antacids and multivitamins. This requires separating the dolutegravir dose by at least four hours.
  • Before using Triumeq you need a blood test to check you are not likely to get a reaction to abacavir. If you test positive for a gene called HLA*B-5701 you should not use any combinations that include abacavir. This includes Kivexa and Triumeq.
  • An additional dose of dolutegravir is needed if Tirumeq is used with the following drugs: efavirenz, fosamprenavir/ritonavir, tipranavir/ritonavir, or rifampin.
  • Side effects are generally mild and uncommon. For example. the most commonly reported side effects in studies were insomnia, headache and feeling tired (in 3%, 2% and 2% of people. These were similar to other HIV combinations. They were not reported by most people and they caused very few people to stop treatment.
  • Since approval there have been more reports of CNS side effects (similar to efavirenz). These includes mood changes and difficulty sleeping. Although these are not common, case reports include needing to change to another drug.
  • Since approval dolutegravir has also been linked to weight gain.
  • Taking Triumeq in the morning (rather than evening) improves sleep for most people. Try this first as this often makes things much better.
  • See information about the individual drugs in Triumeq for more information on side effects.

Further information

The European patient information and detailed Product Information for Triumeq are available from this link on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) website.

The Patient Information is a simplified summary: what the drug is, why it is used, results from studies and cautions including side effects.

The Product Information is a detailed technical summary that you can access as a PDF file by clicking the ‘Product Information’ tab. It describes more precisely how the drug works and how it is processed by your body. This includes, for example, reported food interaction studies in terms of calories or fat content. It includes more details of the study results and a full list of side effects and drug interactions.