Ziagen (Abacavir) for HIV

Overview
Ziagen is a prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat HIV-1 infection in combination with other antiretroviral medications. Ziagen is also referred to by its drug name, Abacavir, and by the abbreviation ABC. Abacavir is a component of the combination drugs Epzicom, Triumeq, and Trizivir. Ziagen is an antiviral medication of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) class. Ziagen is believed to work by preventing HIV from replicating in cells.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Ziagen is taken once or twice a day. Ziagen comes in tablet and oral solution forms.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Ziagen lists common side effects including loss of appetite, headache, ear pain, cold symptoms, insomnia, unusual dreams, and changes in the shape or location of body fat. Rare but serious side effects listed for Ziagen include severe hypersensitivity reactions, lactic acidosis (a metabolic disorder), and hepatomegaly (enlarged liver).

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Ziagen – RxList

Overview of HIV Treatments – AIDS.gov