Guides

Truvada (tenofovir-DF + FTC)

Truvada

tru-VAR-da

  • Truvada is the tradename for a fixed dose combination of tenofovir-DF and FTC.
  • In resource-limited countries this is a white tablet with the same design.
  • Standard adult dose: 1 tablet (containing 300 mg tenofovir DF + 200 mg FTC), once-daily.
  • Truvada is recommended to be taken with food in Europe and with or without food in the US. Food increases the tenofovir levels in Truvada by about 30%. The benefit of taking tenofovir-DF with food is likely to be more important when first starting treatment, if viral load is very high, or if you have resistance to other nukes.
  • Side effects: kidney problems, flatulence (wind), reduced bone mineral density (over first six months).
  • Truvada is included with efavirenz in the fixed dose combintion Atripla.
  • Other notes: tenofovir is cleared by the kidneys – monitoring for kidney toxicity, and not using tenofovir-DF with other drugs that are cleared the same way, are important safety cautions.
  • Truvada is also approved in the US and the EU for daily use by HIV negative people as a way to reduce the risk of catching HIV. This way of using HIV drugs is called Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP need to be prescribed by a doctor.
  • Many generic versions of TD/FTC from different manufacturers are now widely available in the UK

Further information

Information on CNS side effects from efavirenz and kidney toxicity from tenofovir-DF from the i-Base side effects guide.

The European patient leaflet and detailed Product Information for Truvada 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.