You may have heard about Descovy (des-ko'-vee), a medicine approved by the FDA in 2015. Descovy is approved to treat HIV. It can also help prevent people from getting HIV through sex.
How Does It Treat HIV?
People with HIV have a virus that spreads in their body and damages the immune system, making it easier for them to get very sick from other infections.
The two medicines contained in Descovy (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide) work together with other medicines to stop the spread of HIV in your body. This helps protect and preserve the immune system and can prevent the virus from being spread to other people.
However, Descovy has not been adequately tested and therefore, has not been approved for PrEP in women (see below).
Descovy is not a complete treatment regimen for HIV. This means that you will need to take it with other medicines to keep the infection under control. It is usually a third drug, such as bictegravir in the combination pill Biktarvy, that is considered the “anchor” drug in the 3-drug regimen
While Descovy (used with other medicines) can help keep the HIVinfection under control, it is not a cure.
How Does It Prevent HIV?
Many people who do not have HIV may be at risk of getting it through sex. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, is a medicine that people can take to prevent getting HIV.
Descovy, as a single tablet, can be used as PrEP to prevent getting HIV. As with Truvada, it can be used alone as a PrEP regimen. Studies have shown it to be equally effective as Truvada with fewer negative changes on bone and kidney tests.
Descovy does not protect against or prevent the spread of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, or chlamydia.
How Strong Is the Evidence for Descovy?
Based on the current studies, Descovy (when used with other medicines) is a safe and effective treatment for people with HIV. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends Descovy (in combination with other medicines) as one of several first-line treatments for those who are new to HIV treatment or newly diagnosed.
The data also shows that Descovy is safe and effective for preventing HIV in those who may be at risk of getting it. The CDC and the United States Public Health Service recommend Descovy as one of several PrEP regimens.
Still, Descovy is not approved for PrEP in people assigned female at birth, because of a lack of evidence in this population.
How Do I Take Descovy?
For treating HIV, Descovy is a single tablet taken by mouth as part of a three-drug regimen once daily. It can be taken at any time of the day, with or without food. Taking it every day and not missing doses is very important in keeping the HIV infection under control or preventing HIV infection from occurring.
When taken as PrEP, the single tablet is also taken once daily orally.
Do not stop taking Descovy without talking to your health care provider first.
What Can I Do to Prevent or Manage Side Effects?
The most common side effects seen with Descovy are nausea and diarrhea.
If you have nausea, try taking Descovy with food or a light snack. Eating smaller, more frequent meals may also help. If you have diarrhea, make sure to drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
Over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medicine can be used to help with side effects of Descovy. Talk to your health care provider for specific recommendations.
These are not all of the side effects of Descovy. Talk with your health care provider if you are having symptoms that bother you. You can also report side effects to the FDA at 800-FDA-1088.
What Types of Drug Interactions Can Happen?
Some other medicines may alter the blood levels of Descovy and vice versa, causing there to be too much or too little medicine in your body. This could lead to serious side effects or the medicine not working well.
Always tell your health care provider about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins/minerals, herbal products, and other supplements you are using or have recently taken. This will help make sure your medicines work well together.
How Do I Know If It Is Working?
Your health care provider will order several routine tests while you are taking Descovy for the treatment of HIV. One of those tests is called an HIV viral load. This measures the number of HIV viruses in your blood. If you have never been treated for HIV, your viral load may be high. Taking Descovy (with other medicine) every day will help your viral load go down and keep the infection under control.
If your HIV is already being treated and is under control and you are being switched to a regimen containing Descovy, your viral load should stay under control if you are taking it every day.
How Do I Know If It Is Working for the Prevention of HIV?
Your health care provider will order several routine tests while you are taking Descovy for the prevention of HIV. One of those tests is an HIV test. This looks for the presence of the HIV virus in your blood, and the test should be negative if you are taking Descovy every day. If you ever test positive for HIV, you will need to start treatment.
Is There Any Cost Assistance Available?
There is a copay program from the manufacturer that may allow you to pay $0 for your prescription. Whether you are eligible depends on whether you have prescription insurance and what type of insurance you have.
You can find out more at advancingaccessconsent.iassist.com. If you have questions about cost, insurance coverage, or any other financial support issue, you can also contact Gilead Advancing Access at 800-226-2056.
