Antiretroviral drugs

All doses need to be confirmed by your doctor and pharmacist as other doses are possbile and new formulations may be produced. Some drugs are not recommended for first-line therapy. Images approximate to actual size.

indicates a drug not licensed in Europe at November 2007.

Nukes: nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)

Dual nukes

Kivexa (abacavir 600mg + 3TC 300mg, Epzicom)

Recommended adult dose: One tablet, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 1

Truvada (tenofovir 300mg + FTC 200g)

Recommended adult dose: One tablet, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 1

Combivir (AZT 300mg +3TC 150mg)

Recommended adult dose: One tablet, twice-daily.
Total daily pills: 2

Single nukes

3TC (Epivir, lamivudine)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 300mg or 2 x 150mg tablets, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 1 if 300mg 2 if 150mg (150mg shown)

abacavir (Ziagen)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 300mg tablets, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 2

FTC (Emtriva, emtricitabine)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 200mg capsule, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 1

tenofovir (Viread)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 300mg tablet, once-daily.
Total daily pills: 1

AZT (Retrovir, zidovudine)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 250mg capsule, twice-daily.
Total daily pills: 2

ddI (Videx, didanosine)

Recommended adult dose: 1 cap, once-daily (200, 250 or 400mg). Take on empty stomach.
Total daily pills: 1

Triple nuke

Trizivir (AZT + 3TC + abacavir)

Recommended adult dose: One tablet, twice-daily.
Total daily pills: 1

NNRTIs: non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors or non-nukes

efavirenz (Sustiva)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 600mg tablet, once-daily. Take at night, not with a high fat meal.
Total daily pills: 1

nevirapine (Viramune)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 200mg tablet, twice-daily. 2 tabs once-daily possible later.
Total daily pills: 2

etravirine (TMC-125)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 100mg tablets, twice daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 4

Fixed dose NNRTI + dual nuke combination

Atripla (efavirenz + FTC + tenofovir)

Recommended adult dose: One tablet, once-daily – switch option after viral suppression. Guidance as for separate drugs.
Total daily pills: 1

PIs: protease inhibitors

lopinavir/r (Kaletra)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 200mg tablets, twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 4

fosamprenavir/r (Telzir)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 700mg tablet + 100mg ritonavir, twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 2 + 2 caps ritonavir

saquinavir/r (Invirase)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 500mg caps + 100mg ritonavir, twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 4 + 2 caps ritonavir

atazanavir/r (Reyataz)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 300mg or 2 x 150mg caps + 100mg RTV, once-daily, with food.
Total daily pills: 1 or 2 + 1 cap ritonavir

darunavir/r (Prezista)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 300mg caps + 100mg ritonavir, twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 4 + 2 caps ritonavir

tipranavir/r (Aptivus)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 250mg caps + 200mg ritonavir, twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 4 + 4 caps ritonavir

nelfinavir (Viracept)

Recommended adult dose: 5 x 250mg tabs twice-daily. Take with food.
Total daily pills: 10

indinavir/r (Crixivan)

Recommended adult dose: 2 x 400mg caps + 100mg ritonavir, twice-daily.
Total daily pills: 4 + 2 caps ritonavir

ritonavir (RTV, Norvir)

Recommended adult dose: 100mg capsules used at different doses to boost other PIs.
Total daily pills: Depends on PI.

EIs: entry inhibitors including CCR5 inhibitors

T-20 (Fuzeon, enfuvirtide)

Recommended adult dose: 90mg injection under the skin, twice-daily. Total daily dose: 2 injections daily

maraviroc (Celsentri, Selzentry)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 300mg twice-daily. 150mg or 600mg dose needed with some ARVs due to interactions.
Total daily pills: 2

INIs: integrase inhibitors

raltegravir (Isentress)

Recommended adult dose: 1 x 400mg tablet, twice-daily. Take with or without food.
Total daily pills: 2

Indicates a drug not licensed in Europe at time of printing. Images approximate to actual size.

Thanks to Positive Nation for help with some images.