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Taking SYMTUZA® | SYMTUZA® (darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide)

Who can take SYMTUZA®?

SYMTUZA® is approved for:

  • HIV-positive adults or children who weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg)
    • people who have never received HIV medicines in the past, or
    • people who meet certain requirements determined by their healthcare provider.

Certain people shouldn’t take SYMTUZA®.

Certain people shouldn’t take SYMTUZA®, which is why it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

  • Have liver problems, including hepatitis B or C
  • Have kidney problems
  • Are allergic to sulfa (sulfonamide)
  • Have diabetes
  • Have hemophilia
  • Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
  • Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed
  • Or have any other medical condition

Interactions with other medications

Some medicines, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements may interact with SYMTUZA®, and can cause serious problems. Please see Important Safety Information for a list of medications that should not be taken with SYMTUZA®, and talk to your doctor about any medications including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements you’re currently taking. Do not start taking a new medication without telling your healthcare provider.

SYMTUZA® pill shown with numbers "8121"
Pill not to scale

How to take SYMTUZA®:

  • 1 Take SYMTUZA® once a day
  • 2 Always take SYMTUZA® with food
  • 3 Take SYMTUZA® at the same time every day

Some people find it helpful to build SYMTUZA® into their daily routine—like taking it with breakfast, with dinner or before bed. Do not change your dose or stop taking SYMTUZA® without talking to your healthcare provider. When your supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider or pharmacy right away. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to SYMTUZA® and become harder to treat.

Missing a dose

Missing even a few doses can give the virus a chance to mutate, which can lead to drug resistance. When this happens:

  • Your current medication may not work anymore, causing your viral load to go up and CD4+ cell count to go down. This weakens your immune system.
  • You may develop resistance to other medications in the same drug class—even ones you haven’t taken before. This can limit your treatment options.
  • You can pass HIV drug resistance onto others.
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Switching to SYMTUZA®.

Find out why a switch to SYMTUZA® could be the right move for you and your treatment plan.

Learn more