Indication

PREZISTA^® is a prescription medication. It is one treatment option in the class of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) medicines known as protease inhibitors (PI).

PREZISTA^® is always used with 100 mg ritonavir (Norvir^®) in combination with other HIV medicines for the treatment of HIV infection in treatment-experienced adult patients, such as those with HIV resistant to more than one PI.

• The use of other medications active against your HIV in combination with PREZISTA^®/ritonavir (Norvir^®) may increase the likelihood of your overall treatment response. Your healthcare professional will work with you to find the right combination of other HIV meds.
• The long-term benefits and side effects of PREZISTA^® therapy are unknown at this time. It is important that you remain under the care of your healthcare professional.

PREZISTA^® is not approved for the treatment of HIV infection in adult patients who have never taken HIV medications before or in pediatric patients.

PREZISTA^® does not cure HIV infection or AIDS, and does not prevent passing HIV to others.

Please read Important Safety Information below, and talk to your doctor to learn more about PREZISTA^®.

Important Safety Information

• PREZISTA, together with NORVIR, has rarely been observed to cause liver problems, which may be life-threatening. It was not always clear if PREZISTA caused these liver problems because some patients had other illnesses or were taking other medicines. Your health care professional should do blood tests prior to initiating combination treatment including PREZISTA. If you have chronic hepatitis B or C infection, your health care professional should check your blood tests more often because you have an increased chance of developing liver problems.
  
  Talk to your healthcare professional about the signs and symptoms of liver problems. These may include yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes, dark (tea colored) urine, pale colored stools (bowel movements), nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, or pain, aching or sensitivity on your right side below your ribs.
• Skin rashes have been reported in patients taking PREZISTA. Rarely, PREZISTA has been reported to cause a severe or life-threatening rash. Contact your health care professional if you develop a rash.
• Taking PREZISTA with certain medicines could cause serious and/or life-threatening side effects or may result in loss of its effectiveness. Do not take PREZISTA if you are taking the following medicines: dihydroergotamine (D.H.E.45 ^® , Migranal ^® ), ergonovine, ergotamine (Wigraine ^® , Ergostat ^® , Cafergot ^® , Ergomar ^® ), methylergonovine, cisapride (Propulsid ^® ), pimozide (Orap ^® ), oral midazolam, triazolam (Halcion ^® ), rifampin (Rifadin ^® , Rifater ^® , Rifamate ^® ), indinavir (Crixivan ^® ), lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra ^® ), saquinavir (Invirase ^® ), lovastatin (Mevacor ^® ), pravastatin (Pravachol ^® ), simvastatin (Zocor ^® ), or products containing St. John's Wort.
• Before taking PREZISTA, tell your health care professional if you are taking sildenafil (Viagra ^® ), vardenafil (Levitra ^® ), tadalafil (Cialis ^® ), atorvastatin (Lipitor ^® ), atorvastatin/amlodipine (Caduet ^® ), or rosuvastatin (Crestor ^® ). This is not a complete list of medicines. Be sure to tell your health care professional about all the medicines you are taking or plan to take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
• Tell your health care professional if you are taking estrogen-based contraceptives (birth control). PREZISTA might reduce the effectiveness of estrogen-based contraceptives. You must take additional precautions for birth control such as condoms.
• Before taking PREZISTA, tell your health care professional if you have any medical conditions, including allergy to sulfa medicines, diabetes, liver problems (including hepatitis B or C) or hemophilia.
• Tell your health care professional if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
  • The effects of PREZISTA on pregnant women or their unborn babies are not known. You and your health care professional will need to decide if taking PREZISTA is right for you.
  • Do not breastfeed if you are taking PREZISTA. You should not breastfeed if you have HIV because of the chance of passing HIV to your baby.
• High blood sugar, diabetes or worsening of diabetes, and increased bleeding in people with hemophilia have been reported in patients taking protease inhibitor medicines, including PREZISTA.
• Changes in body fat have been seen in some patients taking HIV medicines, including PREZISTA. The cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known at this time.
• As with other protease inhibitors, taking PREZISTA may strengthen the body's immune response enabling it to begin to fight infections that have been hidden. Patients may experience signs and symptoms of inflammation that can include swelling, tenderness or redness.
• The most common side effects related to taking PREZISTA include diarrhea, nausea, headache, and abdominal pain. Uncommon but severe side effects such as inflammation of the pancreas and increased blood fat levels have also been rarely reported. This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. If you experience these or other symptoms, talk to your health care professional. Do not stop taking PREZISTA or any other medicines without first talking to your health care professional.
• Please refer to the ritonavir (Norvir ^® ) Product Information (PI and PPI) for additional information on precautionary measures.


PREZISTA should always be taken at the same time with 100 mg Norvir ^® , in combination with other HIV medicines as prescribed by your health care professional. PREZISTA should also be taken with food (the type of food is not important).


Please see the full Product Information in PDF format for more details.