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This product requires a valid prescription
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Epzicom is an anti-HIV medication. It is in a category of HIV medicines called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). Epzicom prevents HIV from altering the genetic material of healthy T-cells. This prevents the cells from producing new virus and decreases the amount of virus in the body.
• Epzicom is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use by people living with HIV in August 2004. • Epzicom is a combination of two drugs: 600mg of Ziagen® (abacavir) and 300mg of Epivir® (3TC). Epzicom should be prescribed by a healthcare provider for patients who need both of these drugs. Both of these drugs can still be purchased individually for use in combination with other anti-HIV drugs. • The brand name "Epzicom" is an acronym for EPivir and ZIagen in COMbination. • In the European Union, the single-tablet combination of Ziagen and Epivir is sold under the brand name Kivexa™. • Epzicom must be combined with at least one other anti-HIV drug, usually a protease inhibitor (PI) or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI). • Epzicom is a tablet taken once a day. It can be taken with or without food. • Epzicom should not be any more or less effective than Ziagen and Epivir taken as seperate pills together. However, it is considered to be a much more convenient way of taking these two anti-HIV drugs. • It is believed that Epzicom can be safely taken at the same time as most drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS-related complications. • Epzicom should not be taken at the same time as Emtriva® or Truvada® (containing Viread and Emtriva). This is because the Epivir in Epzicom is very similar to Emtriva, and it is not believed that combining these two anti-HIV drugs will make a regimen any more effective against the virus. • An important side effect that doctors and patients need to be aware of is "hypersensitivity." Approximately 8% of people who take Ziagen® (abacavir), one of the two medications in Epzicom, are allergic to it. This can be serious and generally requires that Epzicom be stopped, and that Epzicom or Ziagen should not be taken again. A hypersensitivity reaction usually appears during the second week of therapy, but it can take as long as six weeks to notice any symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever and rash, followed by headaches, stomach upset, feeling sick or tired, sore throat, cough, and shortness of breath. These symptoms usually get worse over time and it is important that you report them to your doctor immediately. If you need to stop Epzicom because of this hypersensitivity reaction, you will still be able to take Epivir, the other drug in Epzicom. • Lactic acidosis, which can be fatal, and severe liver problems have been reported in people taking nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), including Ziagen and Epivir, the two active drugs in Epzicom. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience nausea, vomiting, or unusual or unexpected stomach discomfort; weakness and tiredness; shortness of breath; weakness in the arms and legs; yellowing of the skin or eyes; or pain in the upper stomach area. • Anti-HIV drug regimens containing nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), including Epzicom, can cause increased fat levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) in the blood, abnormal body-shape changes (lipodystrophy; including increased fat around the abdomen, breasts, and back of the neck, as well as decreased fat in the face, arms, and legs), and diabetes. These side effects of anti-HIV drug therapy are reviewed in our lessons on Lipodystrophy, Facial Lipoatrophy, and Risks To Your Heart (Hyperlipidemia). • If you have hepatitis B and HIV and plan to stop taking Epzicom, your doctor might want to frequently check your liver enzymes after stopping treatment. This is because the Epivir in Epzicom is also active against the hepatitis B virus (HBV). If Epivir is stopped abruptly, it can cause liver disease to "flare" and damage the liver. |
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