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  • HIV/AIDS

    • What does it mean to have HIV/AIDS?

      HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The virus is spread from one person to another through certain body fluids. HIV attacks and weakens the body's immune system, destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. There is no cure for HIV, but it can be controlled. If it is not controlled or treated, HIV can lead to AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

    • How do I know if I have HIV?

      The only way to know if you have HIV is through a test. Talk to your healthcare provider if you want to know more. To find confidential HIV testing near you, visit gettested.cdc.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

    • How can I prevent getting HIV?

      You can reduce the risk of HIV infection by abstaining from (not having) sex or limiting your number of sexual partners, using condoms, and never sharing needles. There are now HIV-1 prevention medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Teva's Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets are one of the medicines indicated for PrEP.

    • What is pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)?

      PrEP is a daily medicine to help reduce the risk of HIV-1 infection. PrEP helps stop HIV-1 infection from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. PrEP is more effective for preventing HIV-1 from sex when used every day. PrEP does not protect you from other sexually transmitted diseases, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. You should continue using condoms if you are taking PrEP.

    • Why do I have to be HIV-negative before starting PrEP?

      Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, means protecting yourself before you come into contact with HIV-1. PrEP helps stop HIV-1 infection from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. If you already have HIV infection, then you must treat it since it is too late to try and prevent it.

    • Are there tests I may need before starting PrEP?

      Yes. You must take an HIV-1 test before beginning PrEP to make sure you do not have HIV-1 infection. You will also have to take an HIV-1 test every 3 months while you are taking PrEP.

    • Where can I learn more about HIV/AIDS?

      You can find additional support or information about HIV/AIDS at the organizations listed below.

  • TEVA'S EMTRICITABINE AND TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL FUMARATE FOR PrEP

    • Could Teva's Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for PrEP help me?

      You must be HIV-negative to start Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for PrEP. You must be tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection.

      Before taking Teva's Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for PrEP, it is important to know your HIV risk and have an open, honest conversation with your healthcare provider. Answer the questions below and talk to your healthcare provider about what treatment may be best for you.

        • Do you have sex with someone who is HIV-1 positive?
        • Are you willing to get tested regularly for HIV-1 and to ask your partner(s) to get tested too?
        • Have you ever had sex without condoms?
        • Do you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)? Have you ever had one?
        • Have you had sex with partners whose HIV status you don't know?

    • Are there any reasons why I shouldn't take Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate for PrEP?

      Do not take Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets for HIV-1 PrEP if:

      • You already have HIV-1 infection. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets to treat HIV-1. Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets by themselves are not a complete treatment for HIV-1.
      • You do not know your HIV-1 infection status. You may already be HIV-1 positive. You need to take other HIV-1 medicines with Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets to treat HIV-1.

      Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets can only help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 before you are infected.

    • Should I take Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets for PrEP if I'm pregnant?

      Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during treatment with Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets.

      Also, tell you healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate can pass to your baby in your breast milk.

      • Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 or if you think you have recently become infected with HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
      • If you take Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets for HIV-1 PrEP, talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

    • Can children under 18 take Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets for PrEP?

      Yes, but at-risk adolescents and adults taking Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets for HIV-1 PrEP must weigh at least 77 pounds (at least 35 kilograms).

    • When should I call my doctor if I'm experiencing side effects?

      Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects as soon as you can. You may also report side effects to the Food and Drug Administration by calling 1-800-FDA-1088 or visiting www.fda.gov/medwatch. 

    • Where do I get my medication?

      You can get Teva's Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets at most retail and mail order pharmacies. If a pharmacy doesn't stock this medication from Teva, ask if it can be ordered for you at no additional cost.

    • What should I do if I miss a dose?

      Do not miss a dose of Emtricitabine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Tablets. Uninfected individuals who miss doses are at greater risk of acquiring HIV-1 than those who do not miss doses.

  • GENERIC MEDICATIONS

    • What are generic medicines?

      A generic medicine is a medicine that is an equivalent substitute to a brand-name drug. Generic medicines contain the same active ingredient(s) as the original brand products and are available in the same strengths and dosage forms as their brand equivalents. A generic drug works the same way in your body as the brand-name drug.

    • Do generic medicines work the same as brand-name medicines?

      Yes. Any generic medicine must perform the same way in the body as the brand-name medicine. This standard applies to all generic medicines. A generic medicine is the same as a brand-name medicine in dosage, safety, effectiveness, strength, stability, and quality, as well as in the way it is taken and the way it should be used.

    • Are generic medicines as safe as brand-name medicines?

      Yes. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not approve a generic drug unless the manufacturer can demonstrate it works the same as the brand. The FDA continues to monitor the safety of both brand and generic prescription drugs after their approval for use.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?

Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets can cause serious side effects, including:

  • Worsening of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV before start or when you start treatment with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. If you have HBV infection and take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.
    • Do not run out of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets is all gone.
    • Do not stop taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets without first talking to your healthcare provider.
    • If you stop taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection, or give you a medicine to treat hepatitis B. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets.

For more information about side effects, see the section “What are the possible side effects of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?”

Other important information for people who take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets to help reduce their risk of getting human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, also called pre-exposure prophylaxis or “PrEP”:

Before taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1:

  • You must be HIV-1 negative to start emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection.
  • Do not take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.
    • Some HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets or at any time while taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, vomiting or diarrhea, fever, rash, joint or muscle aches, night sweats, headache, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin, and sore throat.

While you are taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP:

  • Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to reduce the risk of getting STIs.
  • You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP.
    • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.
    • Ask your partners with HIV-1 if they are taking anti-HIV-1 medicines and have an undetectable viral load. An undetectable viral load is when the amount of virus in the blood is too low to be measured in a lab test. To maintain an undetectable viral load, your partners must keep taking HIV-1 medicines every day. Your risk of getting HIV-1 is lower if your partners with HIV-1 are taking effective treatment.
    • Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.
    • Get tested for other STIs such as syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. These infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.
    • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. They may want to do more tests to be sure you are still HIV-1 negative.
    • Get information and support to help reduce sexual risk behaviors.
    • Do not miss any doses of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Missing doses increases your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
  • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets alone to treat HIV-1. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets by themselves are not a complete treatment for HIV-1.
    • If you have HIV-1 and take only emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets, over time your HIV-1 may become harder to treat.

For people taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP: Do not take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP if:

  • you already have HIV-1 infection. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets to treat HIV-1. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets by themselves are not a complete treatment for HIV-1.
  • you do not know your HIV-1 infection status. You may already be HIV-1 positive. You need to take other HIV-1 medicines with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets to treat HIV-1.

Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets can only help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 before you are infected.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?

Before taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

          • have liver problems, including HBV infection
          • have kidney problems or receive kidney dialysis treatment
          • have bone problems
          • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during treatment with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets.

Pregnancy Registry: There is a pregnancy registry for people who take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate can pass to your baby in your breast milk.
    • Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 or if you think you have recently become infected with HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
    • If you take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP, talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.  Some medicines may interact with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

                  • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets.
                  • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets with other medicines.

What are the possible side effects of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?

Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets may cause serious side effects, including:

                  • See “What is the most important information I should know about emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?”
                  • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and during treatment with emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Your healthcare provider may tell you to take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets less often, or to stop taking emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets if you get new or worse kidney problems.
                  • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when taking medicines to treat HIV-1 infection. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.
                  • Bone problems can happen in some people who take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Bone problems include bone pain, or softening or thinning of bones, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.
                  • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Too much lactic acid is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.
                  • Severe liver problems. In rare cases, severe liver problems can happen that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

The most common side effects of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for treatment of HIV-1 include diarrhea, depression, nausea, problems sleeping, tiredness, abnormal dreams, headache, rash, and dizziness.

Common side effects in people who take emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for HIV-1 PrEP include headache, stomach-area (abdomen) pain, and decreased weight. These are not all the possible side effects of emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.  Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

 

Approved Uses

What are emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets?

Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets are a prescription medicine that may be used in two different ways. Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets are used:

                  • to treat HIV-1 infection when used with other anti-HIV-1 medicines in adults and children who weigh at least 37 pounds (at least 17 kg).
                  • for HIV-1 PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents who weigh at least 77 pounds (at least 35 kg).

HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets contain the prescription medicines emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

It is not known if emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets for treatment of HIV-1 infection are safe and effective in children who weigh less than 37 pounds (17 kg).

It is not known if emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate tablets are safe and effective in reducing the risk of HIV-1 infection in people who weigh less than 77 pounds (35 kg).

 

Please read the Medication Guide in the full Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning.