- INVIRASE: Power You Can Handle
- How Boosted INVIRASE Works
- Patient Assistance Program
- Patient Information and Safety
Boosted INVIRASE and You
[ Basics Facts About INVIRASE ] [ Because You Are Living With HIV ]
- In 1995, INVIRASE was the first protease inhibitor (PI) approved to fight HIV—and it changed the way HIV is treated
- Saquinavir, the medicine in INVIRASE, has been studied for more than 10 years and prescribed by doctors more than one million times 1 giving INVIRASE a well-known, long-term record of safety
- Since 1995, INVIRASE has been improved to meet the needs of people living with HIV—including being made into smaller-sized pills and now in a dose that means taking fewer pills every day.
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| INVIRASE is "boosted" with a low dose of ritonavir and taken twice a day in combination with the goal of decreasing your viral load and increasing your CD4 cells (T cells). |
When you research an HIV med, there are a few things you look for right away. Here are the basics of what you need to know about INVIRASE.
- When used in combination with other HIV meds, INVIRASE can get the amount of virus in your blood( viral load ) to undetectable
- INVIRASE can increase your CD4 cells–and more CD4 cells means a stronger immune system to protect you from illnesses
- INVIRASE fits into your lifestyle–two pills twice a day when boosted with a low dose of ritonavir
- INVIRASE has a minimal effect on lipids and is one of only two PIs recommended as an option for HIV+ people who are also at high risk for heart disease2
- INVIRASE has a low chance of stomach-related side effects, including diarrhea (8.1%)
- INVIRASE is well tolerated in general but, like any powerful HIV med, it does have some side effects. In studies of Fortovase (another form of saquinavir, the medicine in INVIRASE), the most common side effects were nausea (10.8%), diarrhea (8.1%), vomiting (7.4%), abdominal pain (6.1%), feeling tired (6.1%), changes in body fat (5.4%) and pneumonia (5.4%)
- INVIRASE works well with other HIV meds used in combination regimens to control viral load and increase CD4 cells—which means you won't lose other HIV meds as treatment options due to negative drug interactions
- INVIRASE works with commonly used antacids–so you can treat heartburn and acid reflux as needed without changing when you take INVIRASE or worrying that your heartburn medicine might cause INVIRASE to stop working and cause a viral load rebound 3
- INVIRASE is not a cure for HIV infection or AIDS. INVIRASE does not prevent passing HIV to others
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Because you are living with HIV...
A Web site can’t give you all of the information you need to know about an HIV med—but it can be a part of your decision-making process. In this section, there is an easy-to-understand illustration of how combination therapy works, an explanation of what undetectable viral load means and what you might want to think about in addition to viral load and CD4 cell counts. There is also more detailed information about INVIRASE.
You may choose to use this information to help you talk with your doctor about how well your current treatment regimen is working for you, your viral load and CD4 cell count, your long–term treatment goals, and if INVIRASE might work for you.
Starting any new HIV med is stressful—but learning all that you can about a med may help you better manage your treatment. If your doctor has already prescribed INVIRASE for you, this Web site can help answer your questions, but you should also read the Patient Prescribing Information and talk with your doctor about any questions you have about INVIRASE or other HIV meds in your regimen.
This information does not include everything you may need to know about HIV and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider.
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