Truvada (TDF and EM) Vs Triumeq (Dolutegravir + Lamivudine + Abacavir)

Coadministration of Truvada and Triumeq is not recommended. There is a substantial risk of possible interactions that might harm your health. Contact a medical specialist to prescribe you the right drugs and for any questions and concerns.

Uses of Truvada (TDF and EM)

Truvada is a widely used medicine approved by the FDA to prevent and treat HIV [1]. It’s among the top drug recommended choices used as the following:

• anti-HIV remedy in combination with other antiretroviral meds to fully work in suppressing viral load in the patient’s body;
• PEP in combination with another antiretroviral drug as an emergency plan to prevent the virus from infecting the blood cells. This is a 28-day course that must be fully adhered to in order for the meds to be effective;
• PrEP (to prevent virus acquisition). In this case, Truvada is used alone by individuals who are non-infected and highly exposed to HIV. In this case, its use should be combined with safe sex practices.

This drug has two active ingredients: emtricitabine and tenofovir-DF that belong to the NRTI class of drugs.

Main Use of Triumeq (Dolutegravir + Lamivudine + Abacavir)

Triumeq is a highly potent anti-HIV med with three active substances: dolutegravir, lamivudine, and abacavir. Dolutegravir (marketed as Tivicay) is an integrase inhibitor (or INSTI). Lamivudine and abacavir are NRTIs. These drug combinations effectively reduce the amount of HIV in the blood and prevent further development of the virus as well as the destruction of the CD4+ cells [2].

Distinctive Features: Truvada (TDF and EM) Vs Triumeq

Emtricitabine in Truvada and lamivudine in Triumeq are both cytidine analogs, and there is a high risk for intracellular interactions when coadministered (possible antagonistic effects). Due to this, combining these meds is not recommended [3].

Emtricitabine and lamivudine have similar resistance profiles via mutation of the same viral reverse transcriptase gene (M184V), and combining the drugs makes the therapeutic efficacy very limited. Coadministering two meds of the same drug class(i.e. NRTIs) as a treatment is not recommended. In this case, a medical specialist should be consulted prior to using these drugs.

References

1. Emtricitabine / Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate. Aidsinfo.nih.gov.
2. Triumeq. Drugs.com.
3. Drug Interaction Report. Interactions between lamivudine and emtricitabine. Drugs.com.