Substance · official US FDA label
Emtricitabine (emtricitabine)
5 medicines listed on Vimpia contain it, alone or combined. Below, the official US FDA label for emtricitabine, unchanged.
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This is a US label.
The official US FDA label for emtricitabine, effective August 18, 2026, describes products sold in the United States. The medicine sold in DR Congo may differ in strength, form or approved uses: ask a pharmacist or a doctor.
Official US FDA label for emtricitabine
Data provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), unchanged. The full label on DailyMed.
Boxed warning
WARNING: POSTTREATMENT ACUTE EXACERBATION OF HEPATITIS B Severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis B (HBV) have been reported in patients who are coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV and have discontinued e mtricitabine. Hepatic function should be monitored closely with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months in patients who are coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV and discontinue emtricitabine. If appropriate, initiation of anti-hepatitis B therapy may be warranted [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . WARNING: POSTTREATMENT ACUTE EXACERBATION OF HEPATITIS B See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Severe acute exacerbations of Hepatitis B (HBV) have been reported in patients coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV who have discontinued Emtricitabine. Hepatic function should be monitored closely in patients coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV who discontinue Emtricitabine. If appropriate, initiation of anti-hepatitis B therapy may be warranted. ( 5.1 )
Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Emtricitabine is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Emtricitabine, a nucleoside analog HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor, is indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. ( 1 )
Dosage
US dosage, for products sold in the United States. For a medicine bought in DR Congo, follow its box, its leaflet or your pharmacist.
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Testing: Prior to or when initiating emtricitabine test for hepatitis B virus infection. ( 2.1 ) Emtricitabine may be taken without regard to food. ( 2.2 ) Adult Patients (18 years of age and older) ( 2.3 ): Emtricitabine capsules: One 200 mg capsule administered once daily orally. Pediatric Patients (3 months through 17 years of age) ( 2.5 ): Emtricitabine capsules: For children weighing more than 33 kg who can swallow an intact capsule, one 200 mg capsule administered once daily orally. Dose interval adjustment in adult patients with renal impairment ( 2.6 ): a. Hemodialysis Patients: If dosing on day of dialysis, give dose after dialysis. Formulation Creatinine Clearance (mL/min) ≥50 mL/min 30–49 mL/min 15–29 mL/min <15 mL/min or on hemodialysis a Capsule (200 mg) 200 mg every 24 hours 200 mg every 48 hours 200 mg every 72 hours 200 mg every 96 hours 2.1 Testing Prior to Initiation of Treatment with Emtricitabine Prior to or when initiating emtricitabine, test patients for hepatitis B virus infection [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. 2.2 Recommended Dosage Emtricitabine is taken by mouth once daily and may be taken without regard to food [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) ]. 2.3 Recommended Dosage in Adult Patients (18 years of age and older) Emtricitabine capsules: One 200 mg capsule administered once daily orally. 2.5 Recommended Dosage in Pediatric Patients (3 months through 17 years of age) Emtricitabine capsules: For pediatric patients weighing more than 33 kg who can swallow an intact capsule, one 200 mg capsule administered once daily orally. 2.6 Dosage Adjustment in Patients with Renal Impairment Table 1 provides dosage interval adjustment for patients with renal impairment. No dosage adjustment is necessary for patients with mild renal impairment (creatinine clearance 50–80 mL/min). The safety and effectiveness of dose adjustment recommendations in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance below 50 mL/min) have not been clinically evaluated. Therefore, clinical response to treatment and renal function should be closely monitored in these patients [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 ), Use in Specific Populations ( 8.6 )] . Table 1. Dose Interval Adjustment for Adult Patients with Altered Creatinine Clearance Formulation Creatinine Clearance (mL/min) ≥50 mL/min 30–49 mL/min 15–29 mL/min <15 mL/min or on hemodialysis a Capsule (200 mg) 200 mg every 24 hours 200 mg every 48 hours 200 mg every 72 hours 200 mg every 96 hours a. Hemodialysis Patients: If dosing on day of dialysis, give dose after dialysis. There are insufficient data available to make dosage recommendations in pediatric patients with renal impairment.
Warnings and precautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Immune reconstitution syndrome: May necessitate further evaluation and treatment. ( 5.2 ) Lactic acidosis/severe hepatomegaly with steatosis: Discontinue treatment in patients who develop symptoms or laboratory findings suggestive of lactic acidosis or pronounced hepatotoxicity. ( 5.3 ) 5.1 Severe Acute Exacerbation of Hepatitis B in Patients Coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV All patients should be tested for the presence of chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) before or when initiating emtricitabine [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 )]. Severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis B (e.g., liver decompensation and liver failure) have been reported in patients who are coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV and have discontinued emtricitabine. Patients who are coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV who discontinue emtricitabine should be closely monitored with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months after stopping treatment. If appropriate, initiation of anti-hepatitis B therapy may be warranted, especially in patients with advanced liver disease or cirrhosis, since posttreatment exacerbation of hepatitis may lead to hepatic decompensation and liver failure. 5.2 Immune Reconstitution Syndrome Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy, including emtricitabine. During the initial phase of combination antiretroviral treatment, patients whose immune system responds may develop an inflammatory response to indolent or residual opportunistic infections (such as Mycobacterium avium infection, cytomegalovirus , Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia [PCP], or tuberculosis), which may necessitate further evaluation and treatment. Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves' disease, polymyositis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome) have also been reported to occur in the setting of immune reconstitution; however, the time to onset is more variable, and can occur many months after initiation of treatment. 5.3 Lactic Acidosis/Severe Hepatomegaly with Steatosis Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis, including fatal cases, have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogs, including FTC, alone or in combination with other antiretrovirals. Treatment with emtricitabine should be suspended in any patient who develops clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of lactic acidosis or pronounced hepatotoxicity (which may include hepatomegaly and steatosis even in the absence of marked transaminase elevations). 5.4 Dose Adjustment in Patients with New Onset or Worsening Renal Impairment Emtricitabine is principally eliminated by the kidney. Reduction of the dosage of emtricitabine is recommended for patients with impaired renal function [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.6 ), Use in Specific Populations ( 8.6 ), and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
Side effects
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are discussed in other sections of the labeling: Severe Acute Exacerbation of Hepatitis B in Patients Coinfected with HIV-1 and HBV [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Immune Reconstitution Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Lactic Acidosis/Severe Hepatomegaly with Steatosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥10%) are headache, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, depression, insomnia, abnormal dreams, rash, abdominal pain, asthenia, increased cough, and rhinitis. Skin hyperpigmentation was very common (≥10%) in pediatric patients. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Cipla Ltd. at 1-866-604-3268 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adverse Reactions from Clinical Trials Experience in Adults More than 2,000 adult subjects with HIV-1 infection have been treated with emtricitabine alone or in combination with other antiretroviral agents for periods of 10 days to 200 weeks in clinical trials. The most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 10%, any severity) identified from any of the three large, controlled clinical trials include headache, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, depression, insomnia, abnormal dreams, rash, abdominal pain, asthenia, increased cough, and rhinitis. In Trials 301A and 303, the most common adverse reactions that occurred in subjects receiving emtricitabine with other antiretroviral agents were headache, diarrhea, nausea, and rash, which were generally mild to moderate. Approximately 1% of subjects discontinued participation in the clinical trials due to these events. All adverse reactions were reported with similar frequency in emtricitabine and control treatment groups except for skin discoloration, which was reported with higher frequency in the emtricitabine treated group. Skin discoloration, manifested by hyperpigmentation on the palms or soles, was generally mild and asymptomatic. The mechanism and clinical significance are unknown. A summary of emtricitabine treatment-emergent clinical adverse reactions in Trials 301A and 303 is provided in Table 2. Table 2. Selected Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions (All Grades, Regardless of Causality) Reported in ≥ 3% of Emtricitabine-Treated Subjects in Either Trial 301A or 303 (0–48 Weeks) 303 301A Emtricitabine+ AZT/d4T + NNRTI/PI (N=294) 3TC + AZT/d4T + NNRTI/PI (N=146) Emtricitabine + didanosine + EFV (N=286) d4T + didanosine + EFV (N=285) Body as a Whole Asthenia 16% 10% 12% 17% Headache 13% 6% 22% 25% Abdominal pain 8% 11% 14% 17% Digestive System Diarrhea 23% 18% 23% 32% Nausea 18% 12% 13% 23% Vomiting 9% 7% 9% 12% Dyspepsia 4% 5% 8% 12% Musculoskeletal Myalgia 4% 4% 6% 3% Arthralgia 3% 4% 5% 6% Nervous System Insomnia 7% 3% 16% 21% Depressive disorders 6% 10% 9% 13% Paresthesia 5% 7% 6% 12% Dizziness 4% 5% 25% 26% Neuropathy/peripheral neuritis 4% 3% 4% 13% Abnormal dreams 2% <1% 11% 19% Respiratory Rhinitis 18% 12% 12% 10% Increased cough 14% 11% 14% 8% Skin Rash event a 17% 14% 30% 33% AZT=zidovudine; d4T=stavudine; NNRTI/PI=non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor/protease inhibitor; 3TC=lamivudine; EFV=efavirenz. a. Rash event includes rash, pruritus, maculopapular rash, urticaria, vesiculobullous rash, pustular rash, and allergic reaction. Laboratory Abnormalities: Laboratory abnormalities in these trials occurred with similar frequency in the emtricitabine and comparator groups. A summary of Grades 3-4 laboratory abnormalities is provided in Table 3. Table 3. Treatment-Emergent Grades 3-4 Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in ≥1% of Emtricitabine-Treated Subjects in Either Trial 301A or 303 303 301A Emtricitabine + AZT/d4T + NNRTI/PI (N=294) 3TC + AZT/d4T + NNRTI/PI (N=146) Emtricitabine + Didanosine + EFV (N=286) d4T + Didanosine + EFV (N=285) Any ≥ Grade 3 Laboratory Abnormality 31% 28% 34% 38% ALT (>5.0 × ULN a ) 2% 1% 5% 6% AST (>5.0 × ULN) 3% <1% 6% 9% Bilirubin (>2.5 × ULN) 1% 2% <1% <1% Creatine kinase (>4.0 × ULN) 11% 14% 12% 11% Neutrophils (<750 mm 3 ) 5% 3% 5% 7% Pancreatic amylase (>2.0 × ULN) 2% 2% <1% 1% Serum amylase (>2.0 × ULN) 2% 2% 5% 10% Serum glucose <40 or >250 mg/dL) 3% 3% 2% 3% Serum lipase (>2.0 × ULN) <1% <1% 1% 2% Triglycerides (>750 mg/dL) 10% 8% 9% 6% a. ULN = Upper limit of normal In Trial 934, 511 antiretroviral-naïve subjects received efavirenz (EFV) administered in combination with either emtricitabine + tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) (N=257) or AZT/3TC (N=254) for 144 weeks. The most common adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 10%, all grades) included diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, headache, dizziness, depression, insomnia, abnormal dreams, and rash. Table 4 provides the treatment-emergent adverse reactions (Grades 2−4) occurring in greater than or equal to 5% of subjects treated in any treatment group. Table 4. Selected Adverse Reactionsa (Grades 2–4) Reported in ≥ 5% in Any Treatment Group in Trial 934 (0–144 Weeks) Emtricitabine + TDF + EFV b AZT/3TC + EFV N=257 N=254 Fatigue 9% 8% Depression 9% 7% Nausea 9% 7% Diarrhea 9% 5% Dizziness 8% 7% Upper respiratory tract infections 8% 5% Sinusitis 8% 4% Rash event c 7% 9% Headache 6% 5% Insomnia 5% 7% Nasopharyngitis 5% 3% Vomiting 2% 5% a. Frequencies of adverse reactions are based on all treatment-emergent adverse events, regardless of relationship to study drug. b. From Weeks 96 to 144 of the trial, subjects received TRUVADA ® with EFV in place of emtricitabine +TDF with EFV. c. Rash event includes rash, exfoliative rash, rash generalized, rash macular, rash maculo-papular, rash pruritic, and rash vesicular. Laboratory Abnormalities: Laboratory abnormalities observed in Trial 934 were generally consistent with those seen in previous trials (Table 5). Table 5. Significant Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in ≥1% of Subjects in Any Treatment Group in Trial 934 (0–144 Weeks) Emtricitabine + TDF+ EFV a AZT/3TC + EFV N=257 N=254 Any ≥ Grade 3 Laboratory Abnormality 30% 26% Fasting Cholesterol (>240 mg/dL) 22% 24% Creatine Kinase (M: >990 U/L) (F: >845 U/L) 9% 7% Serum Amylase (>175 U/L) 8% 4% Alkaline Phosphatase (>550 U/L) 1% 0% AST (M: >180 U/L) (F: >170 U/L) 3% 3% ALT (M: >215 U/L) (F: >170 U/L) 2% 3% Hemoglobin (<8.0 mg/dL) 0% 4% Hyperglycemia (>250 mg/dL) 2% 1% Hematuria (>75 RBC/HPF) 3% 2% Glycosuria (3+) <1% 1% Neutrophils (<750/mm 3 ) 3% 5% Fasting Triglycerides (>750mg/dL) 4% 2% a. From Weeks 96 to 144 of the trial, subjects received TRUVADA with EFV in place of emtricitabine +TDF with EFV. Adverse Reactions from Clinical Trials Experience in Pediatric Subjects Assessment of adverse reactions in pediatric subjects is based on data from Trial 203, an open label, uncontrolled trial of 116 HIV-1 infected subjects who received FTC through 48 weeks. The adverse reaction profile in pediatric subjects was generally comparable to that observed in clinical trials of emtricitabine in adult subjects [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . Hyperpigmentation was more frequent in children. Additional adverse reactions identified from this trial include anemia. Selected treatment-emergent adverse events, regardless of causality, reported in subjects during 48 weeks of treatment were the following: infection (44%), hyperpigmentation (32%), increased cough (28%), vomiting (23%), otitis media (23%), rash (21%), rhinitis (20%), diarrhea (20%), fever (18%), pneumonia (15%), gastroenteritis (11%), abdominal pain (10%), and anemia (7%). Treatment-emergent Grades 3-4 laboratory abnormalities were experienced by 9% of pediatric subjects, including elevated amylase (>2.0 x ULN) (n=4), decreased neutrophils (<750/mm 3 ) (n=3), elevated ALT (>5 x ULN) (n=2), elevated CPK (>4 x ULN) (n=2) and one subject each with elevated bilirubin (>3.0 x ULN), elevated GGT (>10 x ULN), elevated lipase (>2.5 x ULN), decreased hemoglobin (<7 g/dL), and decreased glucose (<40 mg/dL).
Medicines that contain it
Names as they are sold. A medicine without an English page links to its French page.
- Emtricitabine 200 mg, Comprimé
- EMTRIVA 10 mg/ml, solution buvable
- EMTRIVA 200 mg, gélule
- Emtricitabine + Ténofovir 200mg + 300mg, Comprimé (in French)
Combined with other substances
- EMTRICITABINE/TENOFOVIR DISOPROXIL SANDOZ 200 mg/245 mg, comprimé pelliculé (in French)
Combined with other substances
Sources
- ●Labels: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA (public domain). Data provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA), unchanged. DailyMed.
- ●English names of substances: RxNorm, U.S. National Library of Medicine.
- ●Marketing authorizations: register of the ACOREP, DR Congo.
- ●Essential medicines: national list of essential medicines of DR Congo (LNME).
- ●Composition: public medicines database of France (BDPM), ANSM, open licence.
Public information, for reference only: it does not replace the advice of a pharmacist or a doctor. Vimpia writes nothing about how to use a medicine and translates nothing: the label is the US FDA's, unchanged; names, composition and authorizations come from the official sources above.