Tenofovir DF + FTC (Truvada and other generic names)

21 June 2026. Related: ARVs and PrEP, Nukes.

tru-VAR-da

• TenofovirDF (TDF or TD) and FTC (emtricitabine). This cobination used to be known as Truvada. However as the patent on Truvada expired in the UK in 2017, many different generic versions are now being used.
• Standard adult dose: 1 tablet (containing 300 mg tenofovir DF + 200 mg FTC), once-daily.
• TD/FTC is recommended to be taken with food in Europe and with or without food in the US. Food increases tenofovir levels 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).
• 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. These include Adco-Entevir (made by Adcok-Ingram), Emtroc (Activo Health), Hetemcit (Activo Health), Hivent, Tenvir-EM (Cipla), Ricovir-EM (Mylan), Telura (Mylan Pharma) and Tenemine.