Emtricitabine (
Emtriva) is an orally administered
nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) that is indicated in combination with other
antiretroviral agents in the treatment of
HIV infection in adults. As a component of antiretroviral
therapy (ART),
emtricitabine effectively reduces and/or maintains suppression of viral load in ART-naive adults or ART-experienced adults switching from stable combination regimens, and is generally well tolerated.
Emtricitabine is a component of preferred initial HIV combination
therapy regimens; it can be used in place of
lamivudine as part of the dual NRTI backbone in non-
nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)- and
protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimens. Moreover, preliminary data from a randomised, open-label study suggest that
emtricitabine plus
tenofovir DF, a preferred dual-NRTI combination, is better tolerated than co-formulated
lamivudine/
zidovudine, another preferred dual-NRTI combination, resulting in a higher persistent virological response rate, as analysed using the US FDA time to loss of virological response (TLOVR) algorithm. With the convenience of once-daily (single pill) administration, no
dietary restrictions and a favourable drug interaction and tolerability profile,
emtricitabine should facilitate patient adherence to treatment, which, in turn, is central to the success of antiretroviral
therapy. Similarly,
emtricitabine is attractive as an option for ART-experienced stable adults requiring regimen simplification.