3TC Dosage/Direction for Use

3TC therapy should be initiated by a physician experienced in the management of HIV infection.
3TC can be taken with or without food. To ensure administration of the entire dose, the tablet(s) should ideally be swallowed without crushing. For patients who are unable to swallow tablets, lamivudine is available as an oral solution. Alternatively, the tablets may be crushed and added to a small amount of semisolid food or liquid, all of which should be consumed immediately.
Adults and Adolescents Weighing at least 30 kg: The recommended dose is 300 mg daily. This may be administered as 150 mg (15 ml oral solution or 1 x 150 mg tablet) twice daily or 300 mg (30 ml oral solution or 2 x 150 mg tablet) once daily.
Children >3 months and Weighing <30 kg: Oral Solution: The recommended dose is 4 mg/kg twice daily up to a maximum of 300 mg daily.
Tablets: Children Weighing 21-30 kg: The recommended oral dose of lamivudine is ½ tablet (150 mg) taken in the morning and 1 whole tablet taken in the evening.
Children Weighing 14-21 kg: The recommended oral dose of lamivudine is ½ of a scored tablet taken twice daily.
Since an accurate dosing cannot be achieved with this formulation, dosing according to weight bands is recommended for 3TC tablets. This dosing regimen for paediatric patients weighing 14-30 kg is based primarily on pharmacokinetic modelling, with supporting data from clinical studies.
Children <3 months: The limited data available are insufficient to propose specific dosage recommendations (see Pharmacokinetics under Actions).
Elderly: No specific data are available, however special care is advised in this age group due to age-associated changes eg, the decrease in renal function and alteration of hematological parameters.
Renal Impairment: Lamivudine plasma concentrations (AUC) are increased in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment due to decreased clearance (see Pharmacokinetics under Actions). The dosage should therefore be reduced for patients with a creatinine clearance <50 mL/min. The same percentage reduction in dose applies for pediatric patients with renal impairment. When doses <150 mg are needed, the use of the oral solution is recommended. (See Tables 1 and 2.)


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Hepatic Impairment: No dose adjustment is necessary in patients with moderate or severe hepatic impairment unless accompanied by renal impairment (see Pharmacokinetics under Actions).