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Reyataz (atazanavir) 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 3 months and older who weigh at least 5 kilograms.
These insights are based on 63 comments about Reyataz from myHIVteam members. These are the experiences of a small number of people and are not meant to be medical advice.
Benefits:
Considerations:
Reyataz is a type of HIV medicine called a protease inhibitor. It blocks an HIV enzyme called protease. This makes it harder for HIV to produce mature copies of the virus and helps lower the amount of HIV in the body.
Doctors prescribe Reyataz with other HIV medicines to treat HIV-1 in adults and in children 3 months and older who weigh at least 5 kilograms.
HIV-1 is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Reyataz comes as capsules and oral powder. Both forms are taken with food.
Capsules should be swallowed whole and should not be opened.
The oral powder must be mixed with food or a drink and taken with ritonavir. Oral powder may be used in children and in adults who cannot swallow the capsules.
For treatment-naive adults, the recommended regimen is 300 milligrams of Reyataz with 100 milligrams of ritonavir once daily with food. Treatment-naive adults who cannot tolerate ritonavir may take 400 milligrams of Reyataz once daily with food.
For treatment-experienced adults, the recommended regimen is 300 milligrams of Reyataz with 100 milligrams of ritonavir once daily with food.
For children taking Reyataz capsules, ages 6 to younger than 18 years:
For children taking Reyataz oral powder, ages 3 months and older and weighing at least 5 kilograms:
Dosing may be different during pregnancy or for people with certain kidney or liver problems. Reyataz is not recommended in some people with severe kidney or liver problems.
This information is based on the prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.
These insights are based on 63 comments about Reyataz from myHIVteam members.
Members who use Reyataz often say it helps to stay in close contact with your doctor, especially if side effects or lab changes show up. Many members also describe the value of watching for yellowing of the eyes or skin, keeping up with blood work, and remembering that treatment experiences can vary from person to person.
Talk to your doctor about yellowing eyes, skin, or bilirubin changes.
“Wow! I was on the same regimen for years and was doing good till Reyataz started messing with my bilirubin levels. It was always around 2 or 3, but went all the way up to 8.1, and I wound up having jaundice, losing appetite, and so forth. Ended up in the hospital, so Reyataz had to be removed.”
Talk with your doctor if you feel worried about switching medications.
“This will be my third night taking Reyataz, and I’m still scared and petrified. So far everything is OK, just scared of medication change and side effects.”
Keep track of side effects that affect daily life.
“When I took Reyataz, it started out okay, but later I had a lot of abdominal pain.”
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In clinical studies of Reyataz, the most common side effects include:
Reyataz can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:
Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.
Bristol Myers Squibb, the manufacturer of Reyataz, offers BMS Patient Connect. Eligible cash-paying U.S. individuals with a Reyataz prescription can purchase the medicine through BMS Patient Connect. Insurance is not accepted for prescriptions filled through this program.
BMS Patient Connect also offers shipping to all 50 states and Puerto Rico, along with order updates, shipment tracking, and refill reminders through its online portal.
To learn more, visit the BMS Patient Connect website or call 866-526-7107.
Before starting Reyataz, your doctor will check your kidney function. If you have liver disease, your provider will also check your liver function before and during treatment.
Before taking Reyataz, tell your doctor if you:
Tell your doctor about all medicines you take before starting Reyataz, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some combinations can cause serious or life-threatening side effects or make Reyataz less effective.
Do not take Reyataz if you have had a serious allergic reaction to it, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, or another serious skin reaction.
Do not miss doses or let your supply of Reyataz run out. This may allow the amount of HIV in your blood to increase and may make the virus harder to treat.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take two doses at the same time.
Some hormonal birth control methods may not work as well during treatment with Reyataz. Ask your healthcare provider which birth control methods are appropriate for you.
Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Reyataz must be taken with ritonavir during pregnancy. After your baby is born, tell your healthcare provider if your baby’s skin or the whites of the eyes turn yellow.
A pregnancy registry tracks pregnancy outcomes in people exposed to Reyataz. Healthcare providers can register pregnancies by visiting the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry or calling 800-258-4263.
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Reyataz because HIV-1 may pass to the baby, the virus may become harder to treat if the baby has HIV-1, and the baby may have side effects from Reyataz.
These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.
How effective is Reyataz for HIV?
In clinical studies, Reyataz helped many people lower their HIV viral load to below 50 copies per milliliter.
In adults starting HIV treatment for the first time, 75 percent of people taking Reyataz 300 milligrams with ritonavir 100 milligrams once daily reached this level at 96 weeks, compared with 68 percent taking lopinavir/ritonavir.
In another study, 67 percent of adults taking Reyataz 400 milligrams once daily reached this level at 48 weeks, compared with 62 percent taking efavirenz.
Among adults who had taken HIV treatment before, 38 percent of those taking Reyataz 300 milligrams with ritonavir 100 milligrams reached a viral load below 50 copies per milliliter at 48 weeks.
What medicines should not be taken with Reyataz?
Reyataz should not be taken with certain medicines because serious interactions can occur. These include alfuzosin, amiodarone or quinidine when Reyataz is taken with ritonavir, carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin, rifampin, apalutamide, encorafenib, irinotecan, ivosidenib, lurasidone when Reyataz is taken with ritonavir, pimozide, midazolam taken by mouth, triazolam, dihydroergotamine, ergonovine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, elbasvir with grazoprevir, glecaprevir with pibrentasvir, St. John’s wort, lomitapide, lovastatin, simvastatin, sildenafil when used as Revatio to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension, indinavir, and nevirapine.
This is not a complete list of possible drug interactions. Check with your healthcare provider before starting or stopping any medicine.
Can Reyataz affect the heart in people being treated for HIV?
Yes. Reyataz can affect the heart’s electrical signals by prolonging the PR interval. In clinical trials, asymptomatic first-degree AV block was seen in 5.9 percent of people treated with atazanavir.
People who already have heart conduction problems may need electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring while taking Reyataz.
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