FDA Warns About Use of Victrelis With Some HIV Drugs

Irvin Jackson

Add Your Comments

New label warnings are being added to the hepatitis C drug Victrelis by federal health officials, who indicate that combining it with certain HIV drugs may cause both treatments to lose effectiveness.

The FDA issued a safety announcement on April 26, warning that Victrelis should not be used with the HIV drugs Reyataz, Prezista and Kaletra. All three drugs are Norvir-boosted HIV protease inhibitors.

According to the FDA, research has shown that when the drug combinations are taken, the blood levels of the HIV drugs and Victrelis dropped from 49 to 59%.

Do You Know about…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit
Spinal-Cord-Stimulation-Lawsuit

Do You Know About…

Spinal Cord Stimulator lawsuits

Spinal cord stimulator lawsuits are being investigated for individuals who suffered unnecessary shocks, burns or other problems, often resulting in the need for additional surgery to remove the SCS.

Learn More
SEE IF YOU QUALIFY FOR COMPENSATION

The FDA first warned of the problem in a Victrelis drug safety communication issued in February. At the time, the FDA recommended that doctors closely watch patients taking the affected drug combinations and discuss the agency’s findings with those patients. Now the FDA is officially recommending that the drugs not be used together.

Healthcare professionals are being warned that this could cause a resurgence of the hepatitis C virus and HIV in patients that had previously improved under treatment.

Victrelis (boceprevir) is a hepatitis C protease inhibitor used to treat chronic hepatitis C infections in adults. It was approved for use by the FDA in May 2011. Merck, the makers of Victrelis, advised against using it with HIV drugs and warns that Victrelis is not indicated for use in patients who have both HIV and hepatits C.

Irvin Jackson
Written by: Irvin Jackson

Senior Legal Journalist & Contributing Editor

Irvin Jackson is a senior investigative reporter at AboutLawsuits.com with more than 30 years of experience covering mass tort litigation, environmental policy, and consumer safety. He previously served as Associate Editor at Inside the EPA and contributes original reporting on product liability lawsuits, regulatory failures, and nationwide litigation trends.

Tags: Hepatitis C, HIV, HIV Drug, HIV Drugs, Kaletra, Merck, Norvir, Prezista, Reyataz, Victrelis

More Lawsuit Stories

1 Comments

roxanne
hello i would like for other people to know that if they have hep c do not take these medications. my mother started with peginterferon then robavirin and last victrelis.it did not work now she has scarring in her lungs and is very hard for her to breathe.she is on oxygen.and its very devastating to see her like this.all due to this medicaton instead of helping her for one thing it damaged her.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Share Your Comments

This field is hidden when viewing the form
I authorize the above comments be posted on this page
Post Comment
Weekly Digest Opt-In

Want your comments reviewed by a lawyer?

To have an attorney review your comments and contact you about a potential case, provide your contact information below. This will not be published.

NOTE: Providing information for review by an attorney does not form an attorney-client relationship.

MORE TOP STORIES

First Covidien Hernia Mesh Lawsuit Trial Over Symbotex ProblemsTo Begin Next Week
The first Covidien hernia mesh bellwether trial begins on Monday in Massachusetts federal court involving claims that the Symbotex mesh is defectively designed.
Indivior faces nearly 18,000 Suboxone dental erosion lawsuits filed by individuals nationwide who say the opioid addiction treatment caused severe tooth damage.
Nevro SCS Lawsuits Warrant Centralization in New MDL Motion
Plaintiffs have requested that the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidate all Nevro spinal cord stimulator lawsuits in the Central District of California for pretrial procedures.