Atripla vs. Biktarvy

• Are Biktarvy and Atripla the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Atripla?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Biktarvy?
• What Is Atripla?
• What Is Biktarvy?
• What Drugs Interact with Atripla?
• What Drugs Interact with Biktarvy?
• How Should Atripla Be Taken?
• How Should Biktarvy Be Taken?

Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) and Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) are antiviral medications used to treat HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Side effects of Atripla and Biktarvy that are similar include dizziness, trouble sleeping (insomnia), unusual dreams, tiredness/fatigue, headache, nausea, and diarrhea.

Side effects of Atripla that are different from Biktarvy include drowsiness, trouble concentrating, vomiting, gas, upset stomach, skin discoloration (such as small spots/freckles, darkening of the palms of the hands/soles of the feet), and changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

Both Atripla and Biktarvy may interact with other antiretroviral medications, other HIV medicines, and some antibiotics.

Atripla may also interact with sertraline, methadone, blood thinners, cholesterol medications, calcium channel blockers, and seizure medicines.

Biktarvy may also interact with dofetilide, anticonvulsants, antimycobacterials, St John's wort, antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, supplements containing calcium or iron, metformin, and high-dose or multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Common side effects of Atripla include:

• dizziness,
• trouble sleeping,
• drowsiness,
• unusual dreams, and
• trouble concentrating.

Side effects may begin 1-2 days after starting Atripla and usually go away in 2-4 weeks. Other side effects of Atripla include:

• tiredness,
• headache,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• gas,
• upset stomach,
• diarrhea, and
• skin discoloration (such as small spots/freckles, darkening of the palms of the hands/soles of the feet), and
• changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist).

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Atripla including:

• unexplained weight loss,
• persistent muscle aches or weakness,
• joint pain,
• numbness or tingling of the hands/feet/arms/legs,
• severe tiredness,
• vision changes,
• severe or persistent headaches,
• signs of infection (such as fever, chills, trouble breathing, cough, non-healing skin sores),
• signs of an overactive thyroid (such as irritability, nervousness, heat intolerance, fast/pounding/irregular heartbeat, bulging eyes, unusual growth in the neck or thyroid known as a goiter), or
• signs of a certain nerve problem known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (such as difficulty breathing/swallowing/moving your eyes, drooping face, paralysis, slurred speech).

Common side effects of Biktarvy include:

• diarrhea,
• nausea,
• headache,
• fatigue,
• abnormal dreams,
• dizziness, and
• insomnia

Atripla (efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) is an antiviral medication that treats HIV, which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Atripla is not a cure for HIV or AIDS.

Biktarvy (bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide) is a three-drug combination of a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI), and two HIV-1 nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), and is indicated as a complete regimen for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults who have no antiretroviral treatment history or to replace the current antiretroviral regimen in those who are virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA less than 50 copies per mL) on a stable antiretroviral regimen for at least 3 months with no history of treatment failure and no known substitutions associated with resistance to the individual components of Biktarvy.

Atripla may interact with acyclovir, ganciclovir, valacyclovir, valganciclovir, sertraline, methadone, adefovir, cidofovir, blood thinners, cholesterol medications, antibiotics, calcium channel blockers, seizure medicines, or other HIV medicines. Tell your doctor all medications you use. Atripla is not recommended for use during pregnancy. It may harm a fetus, especially if taken during the first 3 months of pregnancy. Women of childbearing age should have a pregnancy test before starting Atripla. Consult your doctor about using 2 forms of birth control (such as condoms with birth control pills) during treatment and for 3 months after the end of treatment. Atripla decreases effectiveness of hormonal birth control, so barrier protection must be used. If you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant, tell your doctor. Discuss other HIV treatment options during pregnancy to decrease risk of HIV transmission to the baby. It is unknown if this medication passes into breast milk. Because breast milk can transmit HIV, do not breastfeed.

Biktarvy may interact with other antiretroviral medications, dofetilide, anticonvulsants, antimycobacterials, St John's wort, antacids containing aluminum or magnesium, supplements containing calcium or iron, metformin, acyclovir, cidofovir, ganciclovir, valacyclovir, valganciclovir, aminoglycosides (e.g., gentamicin), and high-dose or multiple nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Tell your doctor all medications and supplements you use. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant before using Biktarvy; it is unknown how it would affect a fetus. There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to Biktarvy during pregnancy. Because of the potential for HIV transmission, breastfeeding while using Biktarvy is not recommended.

The adult dose of Atripla is one tablet once daily taken orally on an empty stomach. Dosing at bedtime may improve the tolerability of nervous system symptoms.

Biktarvy is a three-drug fixed dose combination product containing 50 mg of bictegravir (BIC), 200 mg of emtricitabine (FTC), and 25 mg of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). The recommended dosage of Biktarvy is one tablet taken once daily with or without food.