Prezista (Darunavir) for HIV

What Members SayTop TipsSide EffectsCopay HelpFAQs

Prezista (darunavir) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults and children ages 3 and older.

What Members Say

MHT logo These insights are based on 81 comments about Prezista from myHIVteam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.

Benefits:

It keeps viral load undetectable for many people on long-term regimens.
It remains useful in treatment-experienced HIV when resistance is a concern.
It fits into once-daily routines for many regimens.

Considerations:

It must be taken with ritonavir and food for full effect.
Liver problems need monitoring, especially with hepatitis, cirrhosis, or abnormal liver tests.
Weight gain and body fat changes can become a concern over time.

How Prezista Works and How It’s Taken

Prezista is a type of antiviral drug called a protease inhibitor. It blocks HIV protease, an enzyme HIV-1 needs to make mature virus particles. When Prezista is used with other HIV medicines, it may help lower the amount of HIV-1 in the blood, called the viral load.

It may also increase the number of CD4+ T cells, which help the body fight infections.

Doctors prescribe Prezista when adults and children ages 3 and older need treatment for HIV-1 infection.

HIV-1 is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Prezista must be taken with ritonavir and other antiretroviral medicines. Take Prezista with food. Ritonavir should be taken at the same time as Prezista.

Prezista is available as tablets and an oral suspension. People who have difficulty swallowing the tablets may use the oral suspension. A healthcare provider will decide which form and dose are right for you.

Shake Prezista oral suspension well before each use. Use the supplied oral dosing syringe to measure each dose.

Typical Dosing for HIV

Recommended dosing includes:

Adults who have not taken HIV treatment before — The recommended dose is Prezista 800 milligrams once daily with ritonavir 100 milligrams and food.
Adults who have taken HIV treatment before and have no darunavir resistance-associated substitutions — The recommended dose is Prezista 800 milligrams once daily with ritonavir 100 milligrams and food.
Adults who have taken HIV treatment before and have at least one darunavir resistance-associated substitution or no baseline resistance information — The recommended dose is Prezista 600 milligrams twice daily with ritonavir 100 milligrams and food.
During pregnancy — The recommended dose is Prezista 600 milligrams twice daily with ritonavir 100 milligrams and food. In certain people who were already taking Prezista 800 milligrams with ritonavir 100 milligrams once daily before pregnancy and have an HIV-1 viral load below 50 copies per milliliter, the once-daily regimen may be considered.
Children ages 3 to younger than 18 who weigh at least 10 kilograms — The dose is based on body weight, treatment history, and darunavir resistance-associated substitutions. The dose should not be higher than the recommended adult dose.

This information is based on prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Top Advice From Members on Prezista

These insights are based on 81 comments about Prezista from myHIVteam members.

Members who use Prezista often say it helps to stay in close contact with your HIV doctor, especially if you notice side effects, lab changes, or want to simplify your regimen. Many also stress the importance of taking treatment consistently and recognizing that what works well for one person may not work the same way for someone else.

1
Check for drug interactions with every new medicine or supplement.
“I show my doctor everything I take, and thank God I do because supplements I was taking awhile back had ingredients that were not good with my Prezista!”
2
Keep track of side effects and tell your doctor.
“I have gained 20 pounds since I have been on HIV meds including Prezista, but it’s hard to distinguish what therapy may be the cause of my weight gain because they’ve changed my regimen many times.”
3
Try not to miss doses.
“My viral load dropped to undetectable, and T cells gradually built up to normal levels; I try not to miss meds now.”

Connect with others who understand life with HIV. Join myHIVteam for free.

Prezista Side Effects

In clinical studies of Prezista, the most common side effects included:

Diarrhea
Nausea
Rash
Headache
Abdominal pain (stomach pain)
Vomiting

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Prezista can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Liver problems, including hepatitis (liver inflammation) — These problems can be life-threatening.
Severe skin reactions — Serious rashes may include fever, blisters, mouth sores, or eye irritation.
High blood sugar or diabetes — New or worsening diabetes or high blood sugar can occur.
Immune reconstitution syndrome — Immune system changes after starting HIV treatment can uncover hidden infections or trigger autoimmune problems.
Increased bleeding in people with hemophilia — More bleeding than usual can occur, including into joints or under the skin.
Changes in body fat — Fat can be redistributed or build up in certain areas of the body.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

How To Save on Prezista

The J&J withMe Savings Program offers cost support for Prezista. Eligible people with commercial or private insurance may pay $0 per prescription fill. A maximum program benefit applies each calendar year, and the Prezista offer is not valid for residents of California or Massachusetts or for prescriptions filled in those states.

The program also offers reimbursement if your pharmacy cannot process the savings card and an online account to help you manage your program benefits.

To learn more, visit the J&J withMe Savings Program or call 866-836-0114.

What To Know Before Taking Prezista

Before starting Prezista, your healthcare provider may review your past HIV treatments. If you have taken HIV medicines before, your healthcare provider may recommend HIV drug-resistance testing. Blood tests, including tests of liver function, should also be done before and during treatment.

Before taking Prezista, tell your healthcare provider if you are allergic to sulfa medicines or if you have ever had a serious skin rash or allergic reaction to darunavir, ritonavir, or any of the ingredients in Prezista.

Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Also tell your healthcare provider if you:

Have liver problems, including hepatitis B or hepatitis C
Have high blood sugar or diabetes
Have hemophilia
Have any other medical conditions

Do not take Prezista with certain medicines because serious or life-threatening problems may occur. These include:

Alfuzosin
Colchicine if you have kidney or liver problems
Dronedarone
Elbasvir and grazoprevir
Dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, or methylergonovine
Ivabradine
Lomitapide
Lovastatin
Lurasidone
Midazolam taken by mouth
Naloxegol
Pimozide
Ranolazine
Rifampin
Sildenafil when used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension
Simvastatin
St. John’s wort
Triazolam

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, tell your healthcare provider.

Prezista may make combined hormonal birth control or the progestin-only pill less effective. Your healthcare provider may recommend an effective nonhormonal birth control method or adding a barrier method.

A pregnancy registry tracks pregnancy outcomes in people exposed to Prezista. Healthcare providers can register pregnancies through the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry or by calling 800-258-4263.

Do not breastfeed while taking Prezista. HIV-1 can pass to a baby through breast milk. It is not known whether Prezista passes into breast milk.

Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Prezista for HIV?

In adults starting HIV treatment for the first time, 70 percent of people taking Prezista with ritonavir once daily had a viral load below 50 copies per milliliter at 192 weeks. This compared with 61 percent of people taking lopinavir/ritonavir.

In treatment-experienced adults, 58 percent of people taking Prezista with ritonavir had a viral load below 50 copies per milliliter at 96 weeks. This compared with 52 percent of people taking lopinavir/ritonavir.

In treatment-experienced adults with no darunavir resistance-associated substitutions, 69 percent had a viral load below 50 copies per milliliter at 48 weeks with once-daily Prezista/ritonavir. The rate was also 69 percent with twice-daily Prezista/ritonavir.

Can Prezista be used with other medicines for HIV?

Yes. Prezista is used with ritonavir and other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1. Prezista must also be taken with food to work as intended.

Some HIV medicines can be taken with Prezista and ritonavir without a clinically significant interaction or a needed dose adjustment. These include dolutegravir, raltegravir, rilpivirine, abacavir, emtricitabine, lamivudine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

Other HIV medicines may interact with Prezista and ritonavir and may need special dosing or monitoring. Some combinations with other HIV protease inhibitors are not recommended. Your healthcare provider should check all of your HIV medicines for possible interactions.

What tests or monitoring are needed with Prezista for HIV?

Before starting Prezista, your healthcare provider should check your liver function with blood tests.

During treatment, people with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or high liver enzyme levels before treatment should be monitored for changes in liver blood tests. This is especially important during the first several months of treatment.

If you have taken HIV medicines before, your healthcare provider may also review your treatment history and recommend genotypic or phenotypic testing. These tests help show whether your HIV-1 virus is likely to respond to Prezista.