sofosbuvir at a glance
Medicine class
Direct-acting antiviral; HCV NS5B polymerase inhibitor.
Usual role
Combination treatment for chronic hepatitis C in adults and children aged 3 years and over.
Food
Take with, shortly before or shortly after food, following product instructions.
Specialist monitoring
Blood tests are used during and after treatment to assess response.
What is sofosbuvir used for?
Licensed uses represented by the selected products:
With other medicines for chronic hepatitis C in adults.
With other medicines for chronic hepatitis C in children aged 3 years and over.
How does sofosbuvir work?
Sofosbuvir is converted inside cells into an active nucleotide analogue. This blocks the hepatitis C virus NS5B RNA polymerase, preventing the virus from making further copies.
sofosbuvir preparations and strengths
Tablet
Route: Oral
Strengths: 400 mg
How to take sofosbuvir
Use sofosbuvir exactly as directed by the specialist team and with the other prescribed hepatitis C medicines.
Take it with, shortly before or shortly after food.
Swallow tablets whole; do not split, crush or chew them because the active ingredient tastes bitter.
Granules may be swallowed directly, taken with water, or mixed with non-acidic soft food at or below room temperature. Swallow all granules without chewing.
Do not stop sofosbuvir or its companion medicines unless the specialist team advises this.
sofosbuvir side effects
Common or expected effects
- Fatigue or irritability
- Headache
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Reduced appetite
- Dizziness
- Rash or itching
- Muscle or joint pain
- Anaemia or other blood-count changes, particularly with ribavirin or peginterferon-containing treatment
Get urgent medical advice
- Severe symptomatic slowing of the heartbeat or heart block, particularly with amiodarone
- Widespread severe rash with peeling skin or blistering of the mouth, eyes or genitals
sofosbuvir in pregnancy
Human pregnancy information is limited, so product information recommends avoiding sofosbuvir during pregnancy as a precaution. Specialist advice is essential because companion medicines may carry additional risks; ribavirin requires particularly strict pregnancy precautions.
sofosbuvir while breastfeeding
It is not known whether sofosbuvir or its metabolites enter human milk, and a risk to the infant cannot be excluded. Product information advises that sofosbuvir should not be used while breastfeeding; discuss feeding and treatment options with the specialist team.
sofosbuvir interactions
The complete treatment combination and all prescription, non-prescription and herbal products should be checked before treatment and whenever medicines change.
Amiodarone
Sofosbuvir-containing treatment can cause serious symptomatic bradycardia or heart block. Use together only when alternatives are unsuitable, with close cardiac monitoring.
Carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin
These substantially reduce sofosbuvir exposure and are contraindicated.
Common questions about sofosbuvir
Answers are fully visible for fast scanning and source review.
Is sofosbuvir used on its own for hepatitis C?
No. It is licensed for use with other hepatitis C medicines, and monotherapy is not recommended.
Can sofosbuvir cure hepatitis C?
A sofosbuvir-containing combination can clear hepatitis C in many people. Blood testing after treatment is used to confirm whether the virus has cleared.
Sources
These sources were used to prepare and review this medicine page.
Prepared and reviewed by the iatroX editorial team.