darunavir at a glance
Medicine class
HIV protease inhibitor
Usual role
Combination treatment for HIV-1
Booster required
Must be taken with prescribed ritonavir or cobicistat
Food
Take with food; the type of food is not important
What is darunavir used for?
Darunavir is used:
To treat HIV-1 infection as part of combination antiretroviral therapy, with ritonavir or cobicistat as the booster.
In adults, adolescents and eligible children, depending on age, weight, treatment history and viral resistance criteria.
How does darunavir work?
HIV protease cuts viral proteins into components needed to form mature virus particles. Darunavir blocks this enzyme, so newly produced particles cannot mature normally. Ritonavir or cobicistat slows darunavir breakdown and maintains effective exposure.
darunavir preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 400 mg, 600 mg, 800 mg
How to take darunavir
Take darunavir with the prescribed booster and other HIV medicines. Take it with food, within 30 minutes after completing a meal, and swallow the tablet with a drink. Do not change formulation or stop treatment without speaking to the HIV team.
Check every new prescription, non-prescription product and herbal remedy for interactions.
Take the booster at the same time as darunavir unless the specialist team directs otherwise.
Food is needed for reliable absorption, but no particular type of meal is required.
darunavir side effects
Common or expected effects
- Diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting
- Headache
- Rash or itching
- Abdominal discomfort or indigestion
- Tiredness
- Changes in blood lipids, glucose or liver tests
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe skin reactions, especially rash with fever, blisters, mouth sores or eye inflammation
- Serious allergic reaction with swelling or breathing difficulty
- Hepatitis or other liver injury, including jaundice or dark urine
- Pancreatitis, which may cause severe persistent abdominal pain
- New inflammatory symptoms as the immune system recovers
darunavir in pregnancy
Discuss pregnancy or plans for pregnancy promptly with the HIV and maternity teams. Do not stop treatment without specialist advice. Darunavir boosted with cobicistat has substantially reduced exposure during pregnancy and requires specialist review and an alternative regimen. Pregnancy care includes monitoring viral load and treatment effectiveness.
darunavir while breastfeeding
The product information advises against breastfeeding while receiving darunavir because infant exposure and adverse-effect risks are uncertain and HIV can pass through breast milk. Formula feeding remains the safest option, although breastfeeding may sometimes be considered when viral load is undetectable and specialist monitoring is available. Discuss feeding plans early with the HIV and maternity teams.
darunavir interactions
Darunavir and its booster have many clinically important interactions. The interaction profile differs between ritonavir and cobicistat, so a full medication review is essential.
St John’s wort or rifampicin
They can markedly lower darunavir and booster exposure, risking treatment failure and resistance; use is contraindicated.
Carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin
These enzyme inducers can reduce exposure; use with cobicistat-boosted darunavir is contraindicated.
Simvastatin or lovastatin
Boosted darunavir can greatly increase statin levels and the risk of severe muscle injury; use is contraindicated.
Common questions about darunavir
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
What is darunavir used for?
Darunavir is used with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection.
Is darunavir a cure for HIV?
No. It suppresses HIV as part of combination treatment but does not remove the virus from the body.
Why is darunavir taken with ritonavir or cobicistat?
These boosters slow darunavir breakdown so that adequate concentrations are maintained.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.