Triumeq and Prezista can be coadministered to increase the effectiveness of HIV treatment. Although no interaction is expected, there’s a low-quality evidence that the main ingredients of the drugs may have a minor interaction [4].
Triumeq is a once-daily HIV medicine. It comes in a tablet form and contains the following active components:
Triumeq can be taken conveniently with or without food, at any time of the day [1]. It’s been tested and approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV-1 and the European Commission for the treatment of HIV in adults. Children above 12 years of age who meet certain requirements from healthcare providers can also use this drug. Triumeq does not cure HIV. Its main ingredients simply inhibit the activity of enzymes that help the virus to multiply.
Prezista is a prescription medicine used for treating HIV infection in adults and children older than 3 years of age. It is approved by the FDA and is always used in combination with ritonavir and other HIV drugs to boost its level. Darunavir, its active ingredient, is classified as a protease inhibitor. It blocks the activity of the HIV protease used to form new HIV particles [2]. Replication of HIV is delayed, therefore slowing the rate at which the immune system is damaged. Darunavir does not cure HIV but help manage it and reduce the risk of transmission. The medicine should not be used by children under 3 years of age because of the increased risk of side effects associated with the drug.
Coadministration of Prezista with Triumeq may decrease plasma concentrations of some active ingredients of Triumeq. The interaction mechanism hasn’t been established yet but may not be significant. In a study with 15 patients, coadministration of darunavir and dolutegravir decreased dolutegravir peak plasma concentration (Cmax), trough plasma concentration (Ctrough), and systemic exposure (AUC) by 11%, 38%, and 22% respectively [3]. No effect on darunavir was observed. The changes are not clinically significant. Using cross-study comparisons to pharmacokinetic data collected historically, dolutegravir does not affect the pharmacokinetics of darunavir [4].