abacavir sulfate at a glance
Medicine class
Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI).
Licensed use
Combination treatment of HIV infection in adults, adolescents and children.
Essential safety test
HLA-B*5701 status must be documented before treatment starts.
Food
Tablets and oral solution may be taken with or without food.
What is abacavir sulfate used for?
Licensed use:
Treatment of HIV infection in adults, adolescents and children, always as part of combination antiretroviral therapy.
How does abacavir sulfate work?
Inside cells, abacavir is converted to carbovir triphosphate. This blocks HIV reverse transcriptase, interrupts formation of viral DNA and reduces further viral replication.
abacavir sulfate preparations and strengths
Oral solution
Route: Oral
Strengths: 20 mg/mL
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 300 mg
How to take abacavir sulfate
Take abacavir exactly as prescribed as part of the complete HIV regimen. Do not stop or restart it without advice from the HIV team.
It may be taken with or without food.
Swallow tablets with water. The selected scored tablet may be divided into equal parts.
If swallowing is difficult, the selected tablet may be crushed into a small amount of semi-solid food or liquid and consumed immediately.
Measure oral solution accurately using the supplied bottle adapter and oral syringe.
abacavir sulfate side effects
Common or expected effects
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness or lethargy
- Fever
- Rash without systemic symptoms
Get urgent medical advice
- Hypersensitivity involving fever or rash with gastrointestinal, respiratory or general symptoms.
- Blistering, peeling or severe painful rash, which may indicate a serious skin reaction.
- Severe persistent abdominal pain, particularly with vomiting, which may indicate pancreatitis.
- Deep or rapid breathing, marked weakness, abdominal symptoms or unusual drowsiness, which may indicate lactic acidosis.
abacavir sulfate in pregnancy
Available pregnancy outcomes have not indicated an increased risk of malformations. Treatment should be selected and reviewed by specialist HIV and maternity teams because maintaining viral control is important for maternal health and reducing transmission to the baby.
abacavir sulfate while breastfeeding
Abacavir passes into human milk. In the UK, formula feeding is the safest option for avoiding postnatal HIV transmission. A virologically suppressed woman wishing to breastfeed should discuss this early with her specialist team because close planning and monitoring of mother and baby are required.
abacavir sulfate interactions
Give the HIV team a complete list of prescribed, over-the-counter and complementary products.
Methadone
Abacavir may increase methadone clearance; monitor for withdrawal symptoms and review methadone treatment if needed.
Riociguat
Abacavir may substantially increase riociguat exposure, requiring specialist review.
Common questions about abacavir sulfate
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is abacavir a cure for HIV?
No. It helps suppress HIV replication with other antiretrovirals but does not remove HIV from the body.
Why is an HLA-B*5701 test needed?
This gene variant strongly increases the risk of abacavir hypersensitivity. People who test positive must not start abacavir.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.