Question explored with the scientific record
Conversation so far
- 1 Can I change from truvada to descovy on pep with raltegravir?
- 2 What dosage of descovy
- 3 has descovy been tested for pep?
Answered on this page ↓
has descovy been tested for pep?
The short version: Descovy itself has not been tested as PEP in any record here. Only a different TAF pill, taken with two other drugs, has.
The one PEP study with a TAF backbone used elvitegravir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/TAF, a single combination pill, not Descovy [1]. It was retrospective and observational, not randomized, and it compared one drug regimen to another drug regimen, never to an untreated group [1]. Completion was similar between the two arms, about 97 in 100 versus about 95 in 100, and nobody in the study caught HIV [1]. That is a weak design for a safety claim.
| Regimen tested | Design | Result |
|---|---|---|
| EVG/c/FTC/TAF as PEP | Retrospective, 311 people | 0 infections, similar completion [1] |
| Descovy (FTC/TAF) as PEP | Not tested here | No data |
The other TAF records are treatment studies in people already living with HIV, or pharmacology and kidney-safety work in volunteers [2][3][4]. None of them is PEP. So the honest answer is that Descovy as a two-drug PEP backbone is an extrapolation from its component drugs, not a tested regimen.
My call: not tested as PEP in this evidence, and the closest study is a different pill with a weaker design. Confidence: moderate that Descovy as PEP is unproven here; low on how well it would actually work.
Sources used 4
-
Prophylaxis by doravirine-lamivudine-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or elvitegravir-cobicistat-emtricitabine-tenofovir alafenamide after sexual exposure to HIV
This retrospective observational study evaluates the completion rates and safety profiles of doravirine-lamivudine-tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (DOR/3TC/TDF) compared to elvitegravir-cobicistat-emtricitabine-tenofovir alafenamide (EVG/c/FTC/TAF) as post-exposure prophylaxis (PE…
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08544-x -
Tenofovir alafenamide plus emtricitabine versus abacavir plus lamivudine for treatment of virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected adults: a randomised, double-blind, active-controlled, non-inferiority phase 3 trial
This phase 3 trial compares the safety and efficacy of tenofovir alafenamide plus emtricitabine versus abacavir plus lamivudine in virologically suppressed HIV-1-infected adults, demonstrating non-inferiority in maintaining virological suppression with a similar safety profile.
DOI: 10.1016/s2352-3018(18)30010-9 -
Bictegravir versus dolutegravir, each with emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, for initial treatment of HIV-1 infection: a randomised, double-blind, phase 2 trial
This phase 2 trial compares the efficacy and safety of bictegravir versus dolutegravir, each combined with emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, in previously untreated adults with HIV-1 infection, demonstrating high efficacy and tolerability for both regimens.
DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3018(17)30016-4 -
Pharmacokinetics of Tenofovir Alafenamide, Tenofovir, and Emtricitabine Following Administration of Coformulated Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide in Healthy Japanese Subjects
A pharmacokinetic study in Japanese subjects found no clinically relevant differences in TAF, TFV, and FTC exposure compared with historical non-Japanese data.
DOI: 10.1002/cpdd.623