Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) summary
The
full CMI on the next page has more details. If you are worried about using this medicine,
speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
This medicine is new or being used differently. Please report side effects. See the
full CMI for further details.
1. Why am I taking APRETUDE?
APRETUDE contains the active ingredient cabotegravir, which belongs to a group of
antiretroviral medicines called integrase inhibitors (INIs). APRETUDE is used to reduce
the risk of getting HIV infection in people weighing 35 kg or more. This is called
pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). For more information, see Section
1. Why am I using APRETUDE? in the full CMI.
2. What should I know before I take APRETUDE?
Do not take if you have ever had an allergic reaction to cabotegravir or any of the
ingredients listed at the end of the CMI. Do not take unless you have had a recent
HIV test to confirm you are HIV negative.
Talk to your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, take any other medicines,
or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
For more information, see Section
2. What should I know before I take APRETUDE? in the full CMI.
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
4. How do I take APRETUDE?
APRETUDE should be taken once a day. If you need to take an antacid, take it at least
2 hours before or 4 hours after you take your APRETUDE tablet.
Take APRETUDE for as long as your doctor recommends. Do not stop unless your doctor
advises you to.
5. What should I know while taking APRETUDE?
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Things you should do
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Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using APRETUDE.
Take APRETUDE tablets every day to reduce your risk, not just when you think you have
been at risk of HIV Infection.
Get tested for HIV every 2-3 months
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Things you should not do
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Do not miss any doses of APRETUDE or stop taking it. Missing your dose may increase
you risk of getting HIV infection.
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Driving and using machines
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APRETUDE can make you dizzy and have other side effects that make you less alert.
Do not drive or use machines unless you are sure you are not affected.
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Looking after your medicine
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Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them.
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6. Are there any side effects?
The following very common side effects may occur when taking APRETUDE: headache, diarrhoea,
fever. Contact your doctor promptly if you develop an allergic reaction or if you
have liver problems.
Whilst very rare, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)
are serious and life-threatening. Contact your doctor straight away if you develop
painful red or purple skin, blisters on your skin, mouth, nose and genitals and red,
painful, watery eyes.
For more information, including what to do if you have any side effects, see Section
6. Are there any side effects? in the full CMI.
This medicine is subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification
of new safety information. You can help by reporting any side effects you may get.
You can report side effects to your doctor, or directly at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems .
Active ingredient:
cabotegravir (as cabotegravir sodium)
Consumer Medicine Information (CMI)
This leaflet provides important information about using APRETUDE. You should also speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like further information
or if you have any concerns or questions about taking APRETUDE.
Where to find information in this leaflet:
1. Why am I taking APRETUDE?
APRETUDE contains the active ingredient cabotegravir, which belongs to a group of antiretroviral medicines called integrase inhibitors (INIs).
APRETUDE is used to reduce the risk of getting HIV infection in people weighing 35
kg or more. This is called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
Your doctor may advise you to take APRETUDE tablets before you are given APRETUDE
prolonged-released suspension for injection for the first time.
If you are being given APRETUDE prolonged-released suspension for injection but you
are not able to receive your injection, your doctor may also recommend that you take
APRETUDE tablets instead, until you can receive the injection again.
2. What should I know before I take APRETUDE?
Warnings
Do not take APRETUDE:
if you are allergic to cabotegravir, or any of the ingredients listed at the end of
this leaflet. Always check the ingredients to make sure you can take this medicine.
if you are taking any of these medicines as they may affect the way APRETUDE works:
rifampicin or rifapentine (to treat some bacterial infections such as tuberculosis),
phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine (also known as anticonvulsants
used to treat epilepsy and prevent seizures).
unless you have had a recent HIV test to confirm you are HIV negative. APRETUDE can
only help reduce your risk of getting HIV before you are infected so, you must get
tested to make sure you don’t already have HIV infection before taking APRETUDE.
Check with your doctor if you:
have any other medical conditions
take any medicines for any other condition
During treatment, you may be at risk of developing certain side effects. It is important
you understand these risks and how to monitor for them. See additional information
under Section
6. Are there any side effects?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Check with your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.
Talk to your doctor if you are breastfeeding or intend to breastfeed.
Your doctor will consider the benefit to you and the risk to your baby of taking APRETUDE
while you are pregnant. It is not known whether the ingredients of APRETUDE can pass
into breast milk and harm your baby.
Allergic reaction
APRETUDE contains cabotegravir, which is an integrase inhibitor. Other integrase inhibitors
can cause a serious allergic reaction known as a hypersensitivity reaction. You need
to know about important signs and symptoms to look out for while you’re receiving
APRETUDE. See additional information under Section
6. Are there any side effects ?
Do not take APRETUDE after the expiry date shown on the pack.
3. What if I am taking other medicines?
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any
medicines, vitamins or supplements that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy,
supermarket or health food shop.
Some medicines may interfere with APRETUDE and affect how it works or make it more
likely that you will have side effects. APRETUDE can also affect how some other medicines work.
Do not take APRETUDE with these medicines:
carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, or phenytoin (also known as anticonvulsants
used to treat epilepsy and prevent seizures).
rifampicin or rifapentine (to treat some bacterial infections such as tuberculosis).
Tell your doctor if you are taking any of the medicines in the following list:
medicines called antacids, to treat indigestion and heartburn.
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any of these. Your doctor may decide
you need extra check-ups.
Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure about what medicines, vitamins
or supplements you are taking and if these affect APRETUDE.
4. How do I take APRETUDE?
How much to take
Adults and adolescents weighing 35 kg or more: the usual dose of APRETUDE is one tablet
(30 mg cabotegravir) taken once a day.
Follow the instructions provided and take APRETUDE until your doctor tells you to
stop. Always take APRETUDE exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor
or pharmacist if you are not sure.
When to take APRETUDE
APRETUDE should be taken once a day.
If you need to take an antacid, take it at least 2 hours before or 4 hours after you
take your APRETUDE tablet. Antacids, to treat indigestion and heartburn, can stop
or reduce APRETUDE being absorbed into your body and make it less effective.
How to take APRETUDE
APRETUDE tablets should be swallowed whole with some liquid. APRETUDE tablets can
be taken with or without food.
Initial PrEP with APRETUDE
If you are starting PrEP with tablets, your doctor will advise you to:
take one 30 mg APRETUDE tablet once a day, for approximately one month
receive injections every 2 months.
This first month is called the oral lead-in period. It allows your doctor to assess
whether it’s appropriate to proceed with injections.
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Which medicine
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When
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Dose
|
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APRETUDE
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For 1 month (at least 28 days)
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30 mg tablet once a day
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Take APRETUDE for as long as your doctor recommends. Do not stop unless your doctor
advises you to.
If you will miss an APRETUDE prolonged-released suspension for injection
If you are not able to receive your injection, your doctor may recommend you take
APRETUDE Tablets instead, until you can receive an injection again. Your doctor will
advise you take one tablet a day until your next APRETUDE injection.
If you forget to take APRETUDE
APRETUDE should be taken regularly at the same time each day. If you miss your dose
at the usual time, take it as soon as you remember. Then continue your PrEP as before.
Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose you missed.
If you take too much APRETUDE
If you think that you have taken too much APRETUDE, you may need urgent medical attention.
You should immediately:
phone the Poisons Information Centre
(by calling
13 11 26), or
contact your doctor, or
go to the Emergency Department at your nearest hospital.
You should do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.
5. What should I know while taking APRETUDE?
Things you should do
Take APRETUDE tablets every day to reduce your risk, not just when you think you have
been at risk of HIV Infection. Do not miss any doses of APRETUDE or stop taking it.
Missing your dose may increase your risk of getting HIV infection.
Get tested for HIV every 2-3 months.
Call your doctor straight away if you:
Think you were infected with HIV (you may get a flu-like illness). They may want to
do more tests to make sure you are still HIV negative.
Remind any doctor, dentist or pharmacist you visit that you are using APRETUDE.
Things you should not do
Do not stop miss any doses of APRETUDE or stop taking it. Missing doses may increase
your risk of getting HIV infection.
Just taking APRETUDE may not stop you getting HIV
You can still get HIV when taking this medicine, although APRETUDE lowers the risk.
HIV infection is spread by sexual contact with someone who has the infection or by
transfer of infected blood. To reduce your risk of getting HIV:
use a condom when you have oral or penetrative sex
Do no risk blood transfer, do not share needles.
Discuss with your doctor the additional precautions needed to further decrease the
risk of getting HIV.
Liver problems
Let your doctor know if you have liver problems. Signs of liver problems include yellowing
of the skin and the whites of eyes, loss of appetite, itching, tenderness of the stomach,
light-coloured stools or unusually dark urine.
Your liver function may need to be closely monitored.
You may need regular blood tests
While you are taking APRETUDE, your doctor may arrange regular blood tests to check
for side effects. See additional information under Section
6. Are there any side effects?
Driving or using machines
Be careful before you drive or use any machines or tools until you know how APRETUDE
affects you.
APRETUDE may cause dizziness in some people and have other side effects that make
you less alert. Do not drive or use machines unless you are sure you are not affected.
Looking after your medicine
Keep your tablets in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 30°C.
Keep your tablets in the bottle until it is time to take them.
Store it in a cool dry place away from moisture, heat or sunlight; for example, do
not store it:
in the bathroom or near a sink, or
in the car or on window sills.
Keep it where young children cannot reach it.
Getting rid of any unwanted medicine
If you no longer need to use this medicine or it is out of date, take it to any pharmacy
for safe disposal.
Do not take this medicine after the expiry date.
6. Are there any side effects?
All medicines can have side effects. If you do experience any side effects, most of
them are minor and temporary. However, some side effects may need medical attention.
See the information below and, if you need to, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you
have any further questions about side effects.
Some side effects may only be seen in your blood tests and may not appear immediately
after you start taking APRETUDE. If you get any of these effects, and if they are
severe, your doctor may advise you to stop taking APRETUDE.
Less serious side effects
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
Common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
Serious side effects
Very common: may affect more than 1 in 10 people
Uncommon: may affect up to 1 in 100 people
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything else that may be making you
feel unwell.
Other side effects not listed here may occur in some people.
Reporting side effects
After you have received medical advice for any side effects you experience, you can
report side effects to the Therapeutic Goods Administration online at
www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems . By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of
this medicine.
Always make sure you speak to your doctor or pharmacist before you decide to stop
taking any of your medicines.
7. Product details
This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.
What APRETUDE contains
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Active ingredient
(main ingredient)
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Cabotegravir (as cabotegravir sodium)
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Other ingredients
(inactive ingredients)
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lactose monohydrate
microcrystalline cellulose
hypromellose
sodium starch glycolate
magnesium stearate
titanium dioxide
macrogol
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Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to any of these ingredients.
What APRETUDE looks like
APRETUDE tablets are white, oval, film-coated tablets, debossed with 'SV CTV' on one
side.
Each tablet contains 30 mg
AUST R 377442
Who distributes APRETUDE
ViiV Healthcare Pty Ltd
Level 4, 436 Johnston Street
Abbotsford, VIC 3067
Australia
Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.
© 2024 ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its licensor.
This leaflet was prepared in December 2024.
Version 4.0