Biktarvy Special Precautions

While effective viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy has been proven to substantially reduce the risk of sexual transmission, a residual risk cannot be excluded. Precautions to prevent transmission should be taken in accordance with national guidelines.
Patients co-infected with HIV and hepatitis B or C virus: Patients with chronic hepatitis B or C treated with antiretroviral therapy are at an increased risk for severe and potentially fatal hepatic adverse reactions.
There are limited safety and efficacy data for Biktarvy in patients co-infected with HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Biktarvy contains tenofovir alafenamide, which is active against hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Discontinuation of Biktarvy therapy in patients co-infected with HIV and HBV may be associated with severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis. Patients co-infected with HIV and HBV who discontinue Biktarvy should be closely monitored with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months after stopping treatment.
Liver disease: The safety and efficacy of Biktarvy in patients with significant underlying liver disorders have not been established.
Patients with pre-existing liver dysfunction, including chronic active hepatitis, have an increased frequency of liver function abnormalities during combination antiretroviral therapy (CART) and should be monitored according to standard practice. If there is evidence of worsening liver disease in such patients, interruption or discontinuation of treatment must be considered.
Weight and metabolic parameters: An increase in weight and in levels of blood lipids and glucose may occur during antiretroviral therapy. Such changes may in part be linked to disease control and lifestyle. For lipids, there is in some cases evidence for a treatment effect, while for weight gain there is no strong evidence relating this to any particular treatment. For monitoring of blood lipids and glucose reference is made to established HIV treatment guidelines. Lipid disorders should be managed as clinically appropriate.
Mitochondrial dysfunction following exposure in utero: Nucleos(t)ide analogues may impact mitochondrial function to a variable degree, which is most pronounced with stavudine, didanosine and zidovudine. There have been reports of mitochondrial dysfunction in HIV negative infants exposed in utero and/or postnatally to nucleoside analogues; these have predominantly concerned treatment with regimens containing zidovudine. The main adverse reactions reported are haematological disorders (anaemia, neutropenia) and metabolic disorders (hyperlactatemia, hyperlipasemia). These events have often been transitory. Late onset neurological disorders have been reported rarely (hypertonia, convulsion, abnormal behaviour). Whether such neurological disorders are transient or permanent is currently unknown. These findings should be considered for any child exposed in utero to nucleos(t)ide analogues, who present with severe clinical findings of unknown etiology, particularly neurologic findings. These findings do not affect current national recommendations to use antiretroviral therapy in pregnant women to prevent vertical transmission of HIV.
Immune Reactivation Syndrome: In HIV infected patients with severe immune deficiency at the time of institution of CART, an inflammatory reaction to asymptomatic or residual opportunistic pathogens may arise and cause serious clinical conditions, or aggravation of symptoms. Typically, such reactions have been observed within the first few weeks or months of initiation of CART. Relevant examples include cytomegalovirus retinitis, generalised and/or focal mycobacterial infections, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Any inflammatory symptoms should be evaluated and treatment instituted when necessary.
Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves' disease and autoimmune hepatitis) have also been reported to occur in the setting of immune reactivation; however, the reported time to onset is more variable and these events can occur many months after initiation of treatment.
Opportunistic infections: Patients should be advised that Biktarvy or any other antiretroviral therapy does not cure HIV infection and that they may still develop opportunistic infections and other complications of HIV infection. Therefore patients should remain under close clinical observation by physicians experienced in the treatment of patients with HIV associated diseases.
Osteonecrosis: Although the aetiology is considered to be multifactorial (including corticosteroid use, alcohol consumption, severe immunosuppression, higher body mass index), cases of osteonecrosis have been reported particularly in patients with advanced HIV disease and/or long-term exposure to CART. Patients should be advised to seek medical advice if they experience joint aches and pain, joint stiffness or difficulty in movement.
Use in Renal Impairment: Post marketing cases of renal impairment, including acute renal failure, proximal renal tubulopathy (PRT), and Fanconi syndrome have been reported with tenofovir alafenamide containing products; while most of these cases were characterised by potential confounders that may have contributed to the reported renal events, it is also possible these factors may have predisposed patients to tenofovir related adverse events.
Patients taking tenofovir prodrugs who have impaired renal function and those taking nephrotoxic agents, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are at increased risk of developing renal related adverse reactions.
Prior to or when initiating Biktarvy, and during treatment with Biktarvy on a clinically appropriate schedule, assess serum creatinine, estimated creatinine clearance, urine glucose, and urine protein in all patients. In patients with chronic kidney disease, also assess serum phosphorus. Discontinue Biktarvy in patients who develop clinically significant decreases in renal function or evidence of Fanconi syndrome.
Patients with end stage renal disease on chronic haemodialysis: Biktarvy should generally be avoided but may be used in adults with end stage renal disease (estimated CrCl <15 mL/min) on chronic haemodialysis if the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks (see Dosage & Administration). In a study of emtricitabine + tenofovir alafenamide in combination with elvitegravir + cobicistat as a fixed-dose combination tablet (E/C/F/TAF) in HIV-1 infected adults with end stage renal disease (estimated CrCl <15 mL/min) on chronic haemodialysis, efficacy was maintained through 96 weeks but emtricitabine exposure was significantly higher than in patients with normal renal function. Efficacy was also maintained in the extension phase of the study in which 10 patients switched to Biktarvy for 48 weeks. Although no additional adverse reactions were identified, the implications of increased emtricitabine exposure remain uncertain (see Adverse Reactions and Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Co-administration of other medicinal products: Biktarvy should not be co-administered simultaneously with magnesium/aluminium-containing antacids or iron supplements under fasted conditions. Biktarvy should be administered at least 2 hours before, or with food 2 hours after antacids containing magnesium and/or aluminium. Biktarvy should be administered at least 2 hours before iron supplements, or taken together with food (see Interactions).
Some medicinal products are not recommended for co-administration with Biktarvy: atazanavir, carbamazepine, ciclosporin (IV or oral use), oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifabutin, rifapentine, or sucralfate.
Biktarvy should not be co-administered with other antiretroviral medicinal products.
Excipients: This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially 'sodium-free'.
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: Patients should be informed that dizziness has been reported during treatment with the components of Biktarvy (see Adverse Reactions).