Emtricitabine
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Zaghw, M.D. [2]
Overview
Emtricitabine (FTC), with trade name Emtriva (formerly Coviracil), is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children.
Emtricitabine is also marketed in a fixed-dose combination with tenofovir (Viread) under the brand name Truvada. A fixed-dose triple combination of emtricitabine, tenofovir and efavirenz (Sustiva, marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 12, 2006 under the brand name Atripla.
Emtricitabine makes up one fourth of the Quad pill (brand name: Stribild).
Category
Antiretroviral
US Brand Names
FDA Package Insert
Description | Clinical Pharmacology | Microbiology | Indications and Usage | Contraindications | Warnings and Precautions | Adverse Reactions | Overdosage | Clinical Studies | Dosage and Administration | Compatibility, Reconstitution, and Stability | Directions For Use | How Supplied | Labels and Packages
Historical Perspective
Emtricitabine was discovered by Dr. Dennis C. Liotta, Dr. Raymond F. Schinazi, and Dr. Woo-Baeg Choi of Emory University and licensed toTriangle Pharmaceuticals by Emory in 1996.[1] Triangle Pharmaceuticals was acquired in 2003 by Gilead Sciences, who completed development and now market the product with the brand name Emtriva.
It was approved by the FDA July 2, 2003. It is very similar to lamivudine (3TC) and cross-resistance between the two is near-universal.[citation needed]
Mechanism of Action
Emtricitabine is an analogue of cytidine. The drug works by inhibiting reverse transcriptase, the enzyme that copies HIV RNA into new viral DNA. By interfering with this process, which is central to the replication of HIV, emtricitabine can help to lower the amount of HIV, or "viral load", in a patient's body and can indirectly increase the number of immune system cells (called T cells or CD4+ T-cells). Both of these changes are associated with healthier immune systems and decreased likelihood of serious illness.
References
- ↑ Leaf, Clifton (September 19, 2005). "The Law of Unintended Consequences". CNN.