Indicated for: HIV-1 infection
Route of administration: oral
Substance: nevirapine (non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor)
ATC: J05AG01 (Antiinfectives for systemic use | Direct acting antivirals | Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
Nevirapine is an antiretroviral medication used to treat HIV-1 (human immunodeficiency virus) infection. It belongs to the class of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), which work by blocking the reverse transcriptase enzyme, essential for HIV replication.
Nevirapine is used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to reduce viral load and increase CD4 cell counts, thereby improving immune system function. It is also used to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV during childbirth.
It is administered orally, in tablet or suspension form, with the dosage adjusted based on the patient's age and weight. Treatment typically begins with a lower dose for the first 14 days to reduce the risk of side effects.
Common side effects include skin rashes, fever, nausea, fatigue, and headaches. In rare cases, it may cause severe reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, hepatotoxicity, or liver failure.
Nevirapine is contraindicated in patients with severe liver impairment or a history of severe allergic reactions to the medication. Regular monitoring of liver function is essential, and patients should report any adverse reactions immediately.
Nevirapine Teva 200 mg tablets
Each tablet contains 200 mg of nevirapine (as anhydrous).
Excipient with known effect: Each tablet contains 168 mg of lactose (as monohydrate).
For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1.
Tablet
White, oval, biconvex tablets. One side is debossed with 'N', a scoreline and '200'. The opposite sideis debossed with a scoreline. The score line is only to facilitate breaking for ease of swallowing andnot to divide into equal doses.
Nevirapine Teva is indicated in combination with other anti-retroviral medicinal products for thetreatment of HIV-1 infected adults, adolescents, and children of any age (see section 4.2).
Most of the experience with nevirapine is in combination with nucleoside reverse transcriptaseinhibitors (NRTIs). The choice of a subsequent therapy after nevirapine should be based on clinicalexperience and resistance testing (see section 5.1).
Nevirapine Teva should be administered by physicians who are experienced in the treatment of HIVinfection.
PosologyPatients 16 years and older
The recommended dose of Nevirapine Teva is one 200 mg tablet daily for the first 14 days (this lead-in period should be used because it has been found to lessen the frequency of rash), followed by one200 mg tablet twice daily, in combination with at least two additional antiretroviral agents.
For patients who are unable to swallow tablets or who weigh less than 50 kg or whose body surfacearea is below 1.25 m2 according to the Mosteller formula, other nevirapine containing oralformulations are available and should be used if appropriate.
If a dose is recognized as missed within 8 hours of when it was due, the patient should take the misseddose as soon as possible. If a dose is missed and it is more than 8 hours later, the patient should onlytake the next dose at the usual time.
Dose management considerationsPatients experiencing rash during the 14-day lead-in period of 200 mg/day should not have their
Nevirapine Teva dose increased until the rash has resolved. The isolated rash should be closelymonitored (see section 4.4). The 200 mg once daily dosing regimen should not be continued beyond28 days at which point in time an alternative treatment should be sought due to the possible risk ofunderexposure and resistance.
Patients who interrupt nevirapine dosing for more than 7 days should restart the recommended dosingregimen using the two week lead-in period.
There are toxicities that require interruption of Nevirapine Teva therapy (see section 4.4).
Special populationsNevirapine has not been specifically investigated in patients over the age of 65.
Renal impairmentFor patients with renal dysfunction requiring dialysis an additional 200 mg dose of nevirapinefollowing each dialysis treatment is recommended. Patients with CLcr ≥ 20 ml/min do not require adose adjustment, see section 5.2.
Hepatic impairmentNevirapine should not be used in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C, see section4.3). No dose adjustment is necessary in patients with mild to moderate hepatic impairment (seesections 4.4 and 5.2).
Paediatric populationNevirapine Teva 200 mg tablets, following the dosing schedule described above, are suitable for largerchildren, particularly adolescents, below the age of 16 who weigh more than 50 kg or whose bodysurface area is above 1.25 m2 according to the Mosteller formula.
Method of administrationThe tablets shall be taken with liquid, and should not be crushed or chewed. Nevirapine Teva may betaken with or without food.
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
Readministration to patients who have required permanent discontinuation for severe rash, rashaccompanied by constitutional symptoms, hypersensitivity reactions, or clinical hepatitis due tonevirapine.
Patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C) or pre-treatment ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULNuntil baseline ASAT/ALAT are stabilised < 5 ULN.
Readministration to patients who previously had ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN during nevirapine therapyand had recurrence of liver function abnormalities upon readministration of nevirapine (see section4.4).
Coadministration with herbal preparations containing St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) due tothe risk of decreased plasma concentrations and reduced clinical effects of nevirapine (see section 4.5).
Nevirapine Teva should only be used with at least two other antiretroviral agents (see section 5.1).
Nevirapine Teva should not be used as the sole active antiretroviral, as monotherapy with anyantiretroviral has shown to result in viral resistance.
The first 18 weeks of therapy with nevirapine are a critical period which requires closemonitoring of patients to disclose the potential appearance of severe and life-threatening skinreactions (including cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis(TEN)) and serious hepatitis/hepatic failure. The greatest risk of hepatic and skin reactionsoccurs in the first 6 weeks of therapy. However, the risk of any hepatic event continues past thisperiod and monitoring should continue at frequent intervals. Female gender and higher CD4counts (>250/mm3 in adult females and >400/mm3 in adult males) at the initiation of nevirapinetherapy are associated with a greater risk of hepatic adverse reactions if the patient hasdetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA - i.e. a concentration ≥ 50 copies/ml - at the initiation ofnevirapine. As serious and life threatening hepatotoxicity has been observed in controlled anduncontrolled studies predominantly in patients with a plasma HIV-1 viral load of 50 copies/ml orhigher, nevirapine should not be initiated in adult females with CD4 cell counts greater than250 cells/mm3 or in adult males with CD4 cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm3, who have adetectable plasma HIV-1 RNA unless the benefit outweighs the risk.
In some cases, hepatic injury has progressed despite discontinuation of treatment. Patientsdeveloping signs or symptoms of hepatitis, severe skin reaction or hypersensitivity reactionsmust discontinue nevirapine and seek medical evaluation immediately. Nevirapine must not berestarted following severe hepatic, skin or hypersensitivity reactions (see section 4.3).
The dose must be strictly adhered to, especially the 14-days lead-in period (see section 4.2).
Cutaneous reactionsSevere and life-threatening skin reactions, including fatal cases, have occurred in patients treated withnevirapine mainly during the first 6 weeks of therapy. These have included cases of Stevens-Johnsonsyndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis and hypersensitivity reactions characterised by rash,constitutional findings and visceral involvement. Patients should be intensively monitored during thefirst 18 weeks of treatment. Patients should be closely monitored if an isolated rash occurs. Nevirapinemust be permanently discontinued in any patient experiencing severe rash or a rash accompanied byconstitutional symptoms (such as fever, blistering, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial oedema, muscleor joint aches, or general malaise), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or toxic epidermalnecrolysis. Nevirapine must be permanently discontinued in any patient experiencing hypersensitivityreaction (characterised by rash with constitutional symptoms, plus visceral involvement, such ashepatitis, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, and renal dysfunction), see section 4.4.
Nevirapine Teva administration above the recommended dose might increase the frequency andseriousness of skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis has been observed in patients experiencing skin and/or liver reactions associated withnevirapine use.
Concomitant prednisone use (40 mg/day for the first 14 days of nevirapine administration) has beenshown not to decrease the incidence of nevirapine-associated rash, and may be associated with anincrease in incidence and severity of rash during the first 6 weeks of nevirapine therapy.
Some risk factors for developing serious cutaneous reactions have been identified; they include failureto follow the initial dosing of 200 mg daily during the lead-in period and a long delay between theinitial symptoms and medical consultation. Women appear to be at higher risk than men of developingrash, whether receiving nevirapine or non- nevirapine containing therapy.
Patients should be instructed that a major toxicity of nevirapine is rash. They should be advised topromptly notify their physician of any rash and avoid delay between the initial symptoms and medicalconsultation. The majority of rashes associated with nevirapine occur within the first 6 weeks ofinitiation of therapy. Therefore, patients should be monitored carefully for the appearance of rashduring this period. Patients should be instructed that dose escalation is not to occur if any rash occursduring the two-week lead-in dosing period, until the rash resolves. The 200 mg once daily dosingregimen should not be continued beyond 28 days at which point in time an alternative treatmentshould be sought due to the possible risk of underexposure and resistance.
Any patient experiencing severe rash or a rash accompanied by constitutional symptoms such as fever,blistering, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial oedema, muscle or joint aches, or general malaise shoulddiscontinue the medicinal product and immediately seek medical evaluation. In these patientsnevirapine must not be restarted.
If patients present with a suspected nevirapine-associated rash, liver function tests should beperformed. Patients with moderate to severe elevations (ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN) should bepermanently discontinued from nevirapine.
If a hypersensitivity reaction occurs, characterised by rash with constitutional symptoms such as fever,arthralgia, myalgia and lymphadenopathy, plus visceral involvement, such as hepatitis, eosinophilia,granulocytopenia, and renal dysfunction, nevirapine must be permanently stopped and not bereintroduced (see section 4.3).
Hepatic reactionsSevere and life-threatening hepatotoxicity, including fatal fulminant hepatitis, has occurred in patientstreated with nevirapine. The first 18 weeks of treatment is a critical period which requires closemonitoring. The risk of hepatic reactions is greatest in the first 6 weeks of therapy. However the riskcontinues past this period and monitoring should continue at frequent intervals throughout treatment.
Rhabdomyolysis has been observed in patients experiencing skin and/or liver reactions associated withnevirapine use.
Increased ASAT or ALAT levels ≥ 2.5 ULN and/or co-infection with hepatitis B and/or C at the startof antiretroviral therapy is associated with greater risk of hepatic adverse reactions duringantiretroviral therapy in general, including nevirapine containing regimens.
Female gender and higher CD4 counts at the initiation of nevirapine therapy in treatment-naïvepatients is associated with increased risk of hepatic adverse reactions. Women have a three fold higherrisk than men for symptomatic, often rash-associated, hepatic events (5.8 % versus 2.2 %), andtreatment-naïve patients of either gender with detectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma with higher CD4counts at initiation of nevirapine therapy are at higher risk for symptomatic hepatic events withnevirapine. In a retrospective review of predominantly patients with a plasma HIV-1 viral load of 50copies/ml or higher, women with CD4 counts > 250 cells/mm3 had a 12 fold higher risk ofsymptomatic hepatic adverse reactions compared to women with CD4 counts < 250 cells/mm3 (11.0 %versus 0.9 %). An increased risk was observed in men with detectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma and CD4counts > 400 cells/mm3 (6.3 % versus 1.2 % for men with CD4 counts < 400 cells/mm3). Thisincreased risk for toxicity based on CD4 count thresholds has not been detected in patients withundetectable (i.e. < 50 copies/ml) plasma viral load.
Patients should be informed that hepatic reactions are a major toxicity of nevirapine requiring closemonitoring during the first 18 weeks. They should be informed that occurrence of symptomssuggestive of hepatitis should lead them to discontinue nevirapine and immediately seek medicalevaluation, which should include liver function tests.
Liver monitoringClinical chemistry tests, which include liver function tests, should be performed prior to initiatingnevirapine therapy and at appropriate intervals during therapy.
Abnormal liver function tests have been reported with nevirapine, some in the first few weeks oftherapy.
Asymptomatic elevations of liver enzymes are frequently described and are not necessarily acontraindication to use nevirapine. Asymptomatic GGT elevations are not a contraindication tocontinue therapy.
Monitoring of hepatic tests should be done every two weeks during the first 2 months of treatment, atthe 3rd month and then regularly thereafter. Liver test monitoring should be performed if the patientexperiences signs or symptoms suggestive of hepatitis and/or hypersensitivity.
If ASAT or ALAT ≥ 2.5 ULN before or during treatment, then liver tests should be monitored morefrequently during regular clinic visits. Nevirapine must not be administered to patients with pre-treatment ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN until baseline ASAT/ALAT are stabilised < 5 ULN (see section4.3).
Physicians and patients should be vigilant for prodromal signs or findings of hepatitis, such asanorexia, nausea, jaundice, bilirubinuria, acholic stools, hepatomegaly or liver tenderness. Patientsshould be instructed to seek medical attention promptly if these occur.
If ASAT or ALAT increase to > 5 ULN during treatment, nevirapine should be immediatelystopped. If ASAT and ALAT return to baseline values and if the patient had no clinical signs orsymptoms of hepatitis, rash, constitutional symptoms or other findings suggestive of organdysfunction, it may be possible to reintroduce nevirapine, on a case by case basis, at the startingdose regimen of 200 mg/day for 14 days followed by 400 mg/day. In these cases, more frequentliver monitoring is required. If liver function abnormalities recur, nevirapine should bepermanently discontinued.
If clinical hepatitis occurs, characterised by anorexia, nausea, vomiting, icterus AND laboratoryfindings (such as moderate or severe liver function test abnormalities (excluding GGT)),nevirapine must be permanently stopped. Nevirapine must not be readministered to patientswho have required permanent discontinuation for clinical hepatitis due to nevirapine.
Liver diseaseThe safety and efficacy of nevirapine has not been established in patients with significant underlyingliver disorders. Nevirapine is contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh
C, see section 4.3). Pharmacokinetic results suggest caution should be exercised when nevirapine isadministered to patients with moderate hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh B). Patients with chronichepatitis B or C and treated with combination antiretroviral therapy are at an increased risk for severeand potentially fatal hepatic adverse reactions. In the case of concomitant antiviral therapy forhepatitis B or C, please refer also to the relevant product information for these medicinal products.
Patients with pre-existing liver dysfunction including chronic active hepatitis have an increasedfrequency of liver function abnormalities during combination antiretroviral therapy and should bemonitored according to standard practice. If there is evidence of worsening liver disease in suchpatients, interruption or discontinuation of treatment must be considered.
Other warningsPost-Exposure-Prophylaxis: Serious hepatotoxicity, including liver failure requiring transplantation,has been reported in HIV-uninfected individuals receiving multiple doses of nevirapine in the settingof post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP), an unapproved use. The use of nevirapine has not been evaluatedwithin a specific study on PEP, especially in term of treatment duration and therefore, is stronglydiscouraged.
Combination therapy with nevirapine is not a curative treatment of patients infected with HIV-1;patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with advanced HIV-1 infection, includingopportunistic infections.
While effective viral suppression with antiretroviral therapy has been proven to substantially reducethe risk of sexual transmission, a residual risk cannot be excluded. Precautions to prevent transmissionshould be taken in accordance with national guidelines.
Hormonal methods of birth control other than Depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) shouldnot be used as the sole method of contraception in women taking Nevirapine Teva, since nevirapinemight lower the plasma concentrations of these medicinal products. For this reason, and to reduce therisk of HIV transmission, barrier contraception (e.g., condoms) is recommended. Additionally, whenpostmenopausal hormone therapy is used during administration of nevirapine, its therapeutic effectshould be monitored.
Weight and metabolic parameters:An increase in weight and in levels of blood lipids and glucose may occur during antiretroviraltherapy. Such changes may in part be linked to disease control and life style. For lipids, there is insome cases evidence for a treatment effect, while for weight gain there is no strong evidence relatingthis to any particular treatment. For monitoring of blood lipids and glucose reference is made toestablished HIV treatment guidelines. Lipid disorders should be managed as clinically appropriate.
In clinical studies, nevirapine has been associated with an increase in HDL- cholesterol and an overallimprovement in the total to HDL-cholesterol ratio. However, in the absence of specific studies, theclinical impact of these findings is not known. In addition, nevirapine has not been shown to causeglucose disturbances.
Osteonecrosis: Although the etiology is considered to be multifactorial (including corticosteroid use,alcohol consumption, severe immunosuppression, higher body mass index), cases of osteonecrosishave been reported particularly in patients with advanced HIV-disease and/or long-term exposure tocombination antiretroviral therapy (CART). Patients should be advised to seek medical advice if theyexperience joint aches and pain, joint stiffness or difficulty in movement.
Immune Reactivation Syndrome: In HIV-infected patients with severe immune deficiency at the timeof institution of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART), an inflammatory reaction toasymptomatic or residual opportunistic pathogens may arise and cause serious clinical conditions, oraggravation of symptoms. Typically, such reactions have been observed within the first few weeks ormonths of initiation of CART. Relevant examples are cytomegalovirus retinitis, generalised and/orfocal mycobacterial infections, and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. Any inflammatory symptomsshould be evaluated and treatment instituted when necessary. Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves’disease and autoimmune hepatitis) have also been reported to occur in the setting of immunereactivation; however, the reported time to onset is more variable and these events can occur manymonths after initiation of treatment.
The available pharmacokinetic data suggest that the concomitant use of rifampicin and nevirapine isnot recommended. Furthermore, combining the following compounds with Nevirapine Teva is notrecommended: efavirenz, ketoconazole, delavirdine, etravirine, rilpivirine, elvitegravir (incombination with cobicistat), atazanavir (in combination with ritonavir), boceprevir; fosamprenavir (ifnot co-administered with low dose ritonavir) (see section 4.5).
Granulocytopenia is commonly associated with zidovudine. Therefore, patients who receivenevirapine and zidovudine concomitantly and especially paediatric patients and patients who receivehigher zidovudine doses or patients with poor bone marrow reserve, in particular those with advanced
HIV disease, have an increased risk of granulocytopenia. In such patients haematological parametersshould be carefully monitored.
ExcipientsThis medicinal product contains 336 mg of lactose per maximum recommended daily dose. Patientswith rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance e.g. galactosaemia, total lactase deficiency orglucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.
SodiumThis medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially‘sodium-free’.
Nevirapine is an inducer of CYP3A and potentially CYP2B6, with maximal induction occurringwithin 2-4 weeks of initiating multiple-dose therapy.
Compounds using this metabolic pathway may have decreased plasma concentrations when co-administered with nevirapine. Careful monitoring of the therapeutic effectiveness of P450 metabolisedmedicinal products is recommended when taken in combination with nevirapine.
The absorption of nevirapine is not affected by food, antacids or medicinal products which areformulated with an alkaline buffering agent.
The interaction data is presented as geometric mean value with 90% confidence interval (90% CI)whenever these data were available. ND = Not Determined, ↑ = Increased, ↓ = Decreased, ↔ = No
Effect
Medicinal products Interaction Recommendations concerningby therapeutic areas co-administration
ANTI-INFECTIVES
Antiretrovirals
NRTIs
Didanosine Didanosine AUC ↔ 1.08 (0.92-1.27) Didanosine and Nevirapine Teva100-150 mg BID Didanosine Cmin ND can be co-administered without
Didanosine Cmax ↔ 0.98 (0.79-1.21) dose adjustments.
Emtricitabine Emtricitabine is not an inhibitor of Nevirapine Teva and emtricitabinehuman CYP 450 enzymes. may be co-administered withoutdose adjustments.
Abacavir In human liver microsomes, abacavir Nevirapine Teva and abacavir maydid not inhibit cytochrome P450 be co-administered without doseisoforms. adjustments.
Lamivudine No changes to lamivudine apparent Lamivudine and Nevirapine Teva150 mg BID clearance and volume of distribution, can be co-administered withoutsuggesting no induction effect of dose adjustments.
nevirapine on lamivudine clearance.
Stavudine: Stavudine AUC ↔ 0.96 (0.89-1.03) Stavudine and Nevirapine Teva30/40 mg BID Stavudine Cmin ND can be co-administered without
Stavudine Cmax ↔ 0.94 (0.86-1.03) dose adjustments.
Nevirapine: compared to historicalcontrols, levels appeared to beunchanged.
Tenofovir Tenofovir plasma levels remain Tenofovir and Nevirapine Teva300 mg QD unchanged when co-administered can be co-administered withoutwith nevirapine. dose adjustments.
Nevirapine plasma levels were notaltered by co-administration oftenofovir.
Zidovudine Zidovudine AUC ↓ 0.72 (0.60-0.96) Zidovudine and Nevirapine Teva100-200 mg TID Zidovudine Cmin ND can be co-administered without
Zidovudine Cmax ↓ 0.70 (0.49-1.04) dose adjustments
Nevirapine: Zidovudine had no effect Granulocytopenia is commonlyon its pharmacokinetics. associated with zidovudine.
Therefore, patients who receivenevirapine and zidovudineconcomitantly and especiallypaediatric patients and patientswho receive higher zidovudinedoses or patients with poor bonemarrow reserve, in particular thosewith advanced HIV disease, havean increased risk ofgranulocytopenia. In such patientshaematological parameters shouldbe carefully monitored.
NNRTIs
Efavirenz Efavirenz AUC ↓ 0.72 (0.66-0.86) It is not recommended to600 mg QD Efavirenz Cmin ↓ 0.68 (0.65-0.81) coadminister efavirenz and
Efavirenz Cmax ↓ 0.88 (0.77-1.01) Nevirapine Teva (see section 4.4),because of additive toxicity and nobenefit in terms of efficacy overeither NNRTI alone (for results of2NN study, see section 5.1).
Delavirdine Interaction has not been studied. The concomitant administration of
Nevirapine Teva with NNRTIs isnot recommended (see section4.4).
Etravirine Concomitant use of etravirine with The concomitant administration ofnevirapine may cause a significant Nevirapine Teva with NNRTIs isdecrease in the plasma concentrations not recommended (see sectionof etravirine and loss of therapeutic 4.4).effect of etravirine.
Rilpivirine Interaction has not been studied. The concomitant administration of
Nevirapine Teva with NNRTIs isnot recommended (see section4.4).
PIs
Atazanavir/ritonavir Atazanavir/r 300/100mg: It is not recommended to300/100 mg QD Atazanavir/r AUC ↓ 0.58 (0.48-0.71) coadminister atazanavir/ritonavir400/100 mg QD Atazanavir/r Cmin ↓ 0.28 (0.20-0.40) and Nevirapine Teva (see section
Atazanavir/r Cmax ↓ 0.72 (0.60-0.86) 4.4).
Atazanavir/r 400/100mg:
Atazanavir/r AUC ↓ 0.81 (0.65-1.02)
Atazanavir/r Cmin ↓ 0.41 (0.27-0.60)
Atazanavir/r Cmax ↔ 1.02 (0.85-1.24)(compared to 300/100mg withoutnevirapine)
Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.25 (1.17-1.34)
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.32 (1.22-1.43)
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.17 (1.09-1.25)
Darunavir/ritonavir Darunavir AUC ↑ 1.24 (0.97-1.57) Darunavir and Nevirapine Teva400/100 mg BID Darunavir Cmin ↔ 1.02 (0.79-1.32) can be co-administered without
Darunavir Cmax ↑ 1.40 (1.14-1.73) dose adjustments.
Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.27 (1.12-1.44)
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.47 (1.20-1.82)
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.18 (1.02-1.37)
Fosamprenavir Amprenavir AUC ↓ 0.67 (0.55-0.80) It is not recommended to1,400 mg BID Amprenavir Cmin ↓ 0.65 (0.49-0.85) coadminister fosamprenavir and
Amprenavir Cmax ↓ 0.75 (0.63-0.89) Nevirapine Teva if fosamprenaviris not co-administered with
Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.29 (1.19-1.40) ritonavir (see section 4.4).
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.34 (1.21-1.49)
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.25 (1.14-1.37)
Fosamprenavir/ritona Amprenavir AUC ↔ 0.89 (0.77- Fosamprenavir/ritonavir andvir 700/100 mg BID 1.03) Nevirapine Teva can be co-
Amprenavir Cmin ↓ 0.81 (0.69-0.96) administered without dose
Amprenavir Cmax ↔ 0.97 (0.85-1.10) adjustments
Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.14 (1.05-1.24)
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.22 (1.10-1.35)
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.13 (1.03-1.24)
Lopinavir/ritonavir Adult patients: An increase in the dose of(capsules) 400/100 Lopinavir AUC ↓ 0.73 (0.53-0.98) lopinavir/ritonavir to 533/133 mgmg BID Lopinavir Cmin ↓ 0.54 (0.28-0.74) (4 capsules) or 500/125 mg (5
Lopinavir Cmax ↓ 0.81 (0.62-0.95) tablets with 100/25 mg each) twicedaily with food is recommended incombination with Nevirapine
Teva. Dose adjustment of
Nevirapine Teva is not requiredwhen co-administered withlopinavir.
Lopinavir/ritonavir Paediatric patients: For children, increase of the dose(oral solution) 300/75 Lopinavir AUC ↓ 0.78 (0.56-1.09) of lopinavir/ritonavir to 300/75mg/m2 BID Lopinavir Cmin ↓ 0.45 (0.25-0.82) mg/m2 twice daily with food
Lopinavir Cmax ↓ 0.86 (0.64-1.16) should be considered when used incombination with Nevirapine
Teva, particularly for patients inwhom reduced susceptibility tolopinavir/ritonavir is suspected.
Ritonavir Ritonavir AUC↔ 0.92 (0.79-1.07) Ritonavir and Nevirapine Teva can600 mg BID Ritonavir Cmin ↔ 0.93 (0.76-1.14) be co-administered without dose
Ritonavir Cmax ↔ 0.93 (0.78-1.07) adjustments.
Nevirapine: Co-administration ofritonavir does not lead to anyclinically relevant change innevirapine plasma levels.
Saquinavir/ritonavir The limited data available with Saquinavir/ritonavir andsaquinavir soft gel capsule boosted Nevirapine Teva can be co-with ritonavir do not suggest any administered without doseclinically relevant interaction adjustments.between saquinavir boosted withritonavir and nevirapine
Tipranavir/ritonavir No specific drug-drug interaction Tipranavir and Nevirapine Teva500/200 mg BID study has been performed. can be co-administered without
The limited data available from a dose adjustments.
phase IIa study in HIV-infectedpatients have shown a clinically nonsignificant 20% decrease of TPV
Cmin.
ENTRY INHIBITORS
Enfuvirtide Due to the metabolic pathway no Enfuvirtide and Nevirapine Tevaclinically significant can be co-administered withoutpharmacokinetic interactions are dose adjustments.expected between enfuvirtide andnevirapine.
Maraviroc Maraviroc AUC ↔ 1.01 (0.6 -1.55) Maraviroc and Nevirapine Teva300 mg QD Maraviroc Cmin ND can be co-administered without
Maraviroc Cmax ↔ 1.54 (0.94-2.52) dose adjustments.
compared to historical controls
Nevirapine concentrations notmeasured, no effect is expected.
INTEGRASE INHIBITORS
Elvitegravir/ Interaction has not been studied. Co-administration of Nevirapinecobicistat Cobicistat, a cytochrome P450 3A Teva with elvitegravir ininhibitor significantly inhibits hepatic combination with cobicistat is notenzymes, as well as other metabolic recommended (see section 4.4).pathways. Thereforecoadministration would likely resultin altered plasma levels of cobicistatand Nevirapine Teva.
Raltegravir No clinical data available. Due to the Raltegravir and Nevirapine Teva400 mg BID metabolic pathway of raltegravir no can be co-administered withoutinteraction is expected. dose adjustments.
ANTIBIOTICS
Clarithromycin Clarithromycin AUC ↓ 0.69 (0.62- Clarithromycin exposure was500 mg BID 0.76) significantly decreased, 14-OH
Clarithromycin Cmin ↓ 0.44 (0.30- metabolite exposure increased.0.64) Because the clarithromycin active
Clarithromycin Cmax ↓ 0.77 (0.69- metabolite has reduced activity0.86) against Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex overall
Metabolite 14-OH clarithromycin activity against the pathogen may
AUC ↑ 1.42 (1.16-1.73) be altered. Alternatives to
Metabolite 14-OH clarithromycin clarithromycin, such as
Cmin ↔ 0 (0.68-1.49) azithromycin should be
Metabolite 14-OH clarithromycin considered. Close monitoring for
Cmax ↑ 1.47 (1.21-1.80) hepatic abnormalities isrecommended
Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.26
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.28
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.24compared to historical controls.
Rifabutin Rifabutin AUC ↑ 1.17 (0.98-1.40) No significant effect on rifabutin150 or 300 mg QD Rifabutin Cmin ↔ 1.07 (0.84-1.37) and nevirapine mean PK
Rifabutin Cmax ↑ 1.28 (1.09-1.51) parameters is seen. Rifabutin and
Nevirapine Teva can be co-
Metabolite 25-O-desacetylrifabutin administered without dose
AUC ↑ 1.24 (0.84-1.84) adjustments. However, due to the
Metabolite 25-O-desacetylrifabutin high interpatient variability some
Cmin ↑ 1.22 (0.86-1.74) patients may experience large
Metabolite 25-O-desacetylrifabutin increases in rifabutin exposure and
Cmax ↑ 1.29 (0.98-1.68) may be at higher risk for rifabutintoxicity. Therefore, caution should
A clinically not relevant increase in be used in concomitantthe apparent clearance of nevirapine administration.(by 9%) compared to historical datawas reported.
Rifampicin Rifampicin AUC ↔ 1.11 (0.96-1.28) It is not recommended to co-600 mg QD Rifampicin Cmin ND administer rifampicin and
Rifampicin Cmax ↔ 1.06 (0.91-1.22) Nevirapine Teva (see section 4.4).
Physicians needing to treat
Nevirapine AUC ↓ 0.42 patients co-infected with
Nevirapine Cmin ↓ 0.32 tuberculosis and using a
Nevirapine Cmax ↓ 0.50 Nevirapine Teva containingcompared to historical controls. regimen may considercoadministration of rifabutininstead.
ANTIFUNGALS
Fluconazole Fluconazole AUC ↔ 0.94 (0.88- Because of the risk of increased200 mg QD 1.01) exposure to Nevirapine Teva,
Fluconazole Cmin ↔ 0.93 (0.86-1.01) caution should be exercised if the
Fluconazole Cmax ↔ 0.92 (0.85-0.99) medicinal products are givenconcomitantly and patients should
Nevirapine: exposure: ↑100% be monitored closely.compared with historical data wherenevirapine was administered alone.
Itraconazole Itraconazole AUC ↓ 0.39 A dose increase for itraconazole200 mg QD Itraconazole Cmin ↓ 0.13 should be considered when these
Itraconazole Cmax ↓ 0.62 two agents are administeredconcomitantly.
Nevirapine: there was no significantdifference in nevirapinepharmacokinetic parameters.
Ketoconazole Ketoconazole AUC ↓ 0.28 (0.20- It is not recommended to co-400 mg QD 0.40) administer ketoconazole and
Ketoconazole Cmin ND Nevirapine Teva (see section 4.4).
Ketoconazole Cmax ↓ 0.56 (0.42-0.73)
Nevirapine: plasma levels: ↑ 1.15-1.28 compared to historical controls.
ANTIVIRALS FOR CHRONIC HEPATITIS B AND C
Adefovir Results of in vitro studies showed a Adefovir and Nevirapine Tevaweak antagonism of nevirapine by may be co-administered withoutadefovir (see section 5.1), this has dose adjustments.not been confirmed in clinical trialsand reduced efficacy is not expected.
Adefovir did not influence any of thecommon CYP isoforms known to beinvolved in human drug metabolismand is excreted renally. No clinicallyrelevant drug-drug interaction isexpected.
Boceprevir Boceprevir is partly metabolized by It is not recommended to co-
CYP3A4/5. Co-administration of administer boceprevir andboceprevir with medicines that Nevirapine Teva (see section 4.4).induce or inhibit CYP3A4/5 couldincrease or decrease exposure.
Plasma trough concentrations ofboceprevir were decreased whenadministered with an NNRTI with asimilar metabolic pathway asnevirapine. The clinical outcome ofthis observed reduction of boceprevirtrough concentrations has not beendirectly assessed.
Entecavir Entecavir is not a substrate, inducer Entecavir and Nevirapine Tevaor an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 may be co-administered without(CYP450) enzymes. Due to the dose adjustments.
metabolic pathway of entecavir, noclinically relevant drug-druginteraction is expected.
Interferons (pegylated Interferons have no known effect on Interferons and Nevirapine Tevainterferons alfa 2a and CYP 3A4 or 2B6. No clinically may be co-administered withoutalfa 2b) relevant drug-drug interaction is dose adjustments.
expected.
Ribavirin Results of in vitro studies showed a Ribavirin and Nevirapine Tevaweak antagonism of nevirapine by may be co-administered withoutribavirin (see section 5.1), this has dose adjustments.not been confirmed in clinical trialsand reduced efficacy is not expected.
Ribavirin does not inhibitcytochrome P450 enzymes, and thereis no evidence from toxicity studiesthat ribavirin induces liver enzymes.
No clinically relevant drug-druginteraction is expected.
Telaprevir Telaprevir is metabolised in the liver Caution should be exercised whenby CYP3A and is a P-glycoprotein co-administering telaprevir withsubstrate. Other enzymes may be nevirapine.involved in the metabolism. Co- If co-administered withadministration of telaprevir and Nevirapine Teva, an adjustment inmedicinal products that induce the telaprevir dose should be
CYP3A and/or P-gp may decrease considered.telaprevir plasma concentrations. Nodrug-drug interaction study oftelaprevir with nevirapine has beenconducted, however, interactionstudies of telaprevir with an NNRTIwith a similar metabolic pathway asnevirapine demonstrated reducedlevels of both. Results of DDIstudies of telaprevir with efavirenzindicate that caution should beexercised when co-administeringtelaprevir with P450 inducers.
Telbivudine Telbivudine is not a substrate, Telbivudine and Nevirapine Tevainducer or inhibitor of the may be co-administered withoutcytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme dose adjustments.system. Due to the metabolicpathway of telbivudine, no clinicallyrelevant drug-drug interaction isexpected.
ANTACIDS
Cimetidine Cimetidine: no significant effect on Cimetidine and Nevirapine Tevacimetidine PK parameters is seen. can be co-administered withoutdose adjustments.
Nevirapine Cmin ↑ 1.07
ANTITHROMBOTICS
Warfarin The interaction between nevirapine Close monitoring ofand the antithrombotic agent anticoagulation levels iswarfarin is complex, with the warranted.potential for both increases anddecreases in coagulation time whenused concomitantly.
CONTRACEPTIVES
Depot- DMPA AUC ↔ Nevirapine co-administration didmedroxyprogesterone DMPA Cmin ↔ not alter the ovulation suppressionacetate (DMPA) DMPA Cmax ↔ effects of DMPA. DMPA and150 mg every 3 Nevirapine Teva can be co-months Nevirapine AUC ↑ 1.20 administered without dose
Nevirapine Cmax ↑ 1.20 adjustments.
Ethinyl estradiol (EE) EE AUC ↓ 0.80 (0.67 - 0.97) Oral hormonal contraceptives0.035 mg EE Cmin ND should not be used as the sole
EE Cmax ↔ 0.94 (0.79 - 1.12) method of contraception in womentaking Nevirapine Teva (see
Norethindrone (NET) NET AUC ↓ 0.81 (0.70 - 0.93) section 4.4). Appropriate doses for1.0 mg QD NET Cmin ND hormonal contraceptives (oral or
NET Cmax ↓ 0.84 (0.73 - 0.97) other forms of application) otherthan DMPA in combination withnevirapine have not beenestablished with respect to safetyand efficacy.
ANALGESICS/OPIOIDS
Methadone Individual Methadone AUC ↓ 0.40 (0.31 - 0.51) Methadone-maintained patients
Patient Dosing Methadone Cmin ND beginning Nevirapine Teva
Methadone Cmax ↓ 0.58 (0.50 - 0.67) therapy should be monitored forevidence of withdrawal andmethadone dose should beadjusted accordingly.
HERBAL PRODUCTS
St. John's Wort Serum levels of nevirapine can be Herbal preparations containing St.reduced by concomitant use of the John‘s Wort and Nevirapine Tevaherbal preparation St. John's Wort must not be co-administered (see(Hypericum perforatum). This is due section 4.3). If a patient is alreadyto induction of medicinal product taking St. John‘s Wort checkmetabolism enzymes and/or transport nevirapine and if possible viralproteins by St. John’s Wort. levels and stop St John‘s Wort.
Nevirapine levels may increase onstopping St John‘s Wort. The doseof Nevirapine Teva may needadjusting. The inducing effect maypersist for at least 2 weeks aftercessation of treatment with St.
John‘s Wort.
Other information:Nevirapine metabolites: Studies using human liver microsomes indicated that the formation ofnevirapine hydroxylated metabolites was not affected by the presence of dapsone, rifabutin,rifampicin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Ketoconazole and erythromycin significantlyinhibited the formation of nevirapine hydroxylated metabolites.
Women of childbearing potential should not use oral contraceptives as the sole method for birthcontrol, since nevirapine might lower the plasma concentrations of these medicinal products (seesections 4.4 & 4.5).
PregnancyCurrently available data on pregnant women indicate no malformative or foeto/ neonatal toxicity. Todate no other relevant epidemiological data are available. No observable teratogenicity was detected inreproductive studies performed in pregnant rats and rabbits (see section 5.3). There are no adequateand well-controlled studies in pregnant women. Caution should be exercised when prescribingnevirapine to pregnant women (see section 4.4). As hepatotoxicity is more frequent in women with
CD4 cell counts above 250 cells/mm3 with detectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma (50 or more copies/ml),these conditions should be taken in consideration on therapeutic decision (see section 4.4). There isnot enough evidence to substantiate that the absence of an increased risk for toxicity seen in pretreatedwomen initiating nevirapine with an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/ml of HIV-1 inplasma) and CD4 cell counts above 250 cells/mm3 also applies to pregnant women. All therandomised studies addressing this issue specifically excluded pregnant women, and pregnant womenwere under-represented in cohort studies as well as in meta-analyses.
Breast-feedingNevirapine readily crosses the placenta and is found in breast milk.
It is recommended that HIV-infected mothers do not breast-feed their infants to avoid risking postnataltransmission of HIV and that mothers should discontinue breast-feeding if they are receivingnevirapine.
FertilityIn reproductive toxicology studies, evidence of impaired fertility was seen in rats.
There are no specific studies about the ability to drive vehicles and use machinery.
However, patients should be advised that they may experience adverse reactions such as fatigue duringtreatment with Nevirapine Teva. Therefore, caution should be recommended when driving a car oroperating machinery. If patients experience fatigue they should avoid potentially hazardous tasks suchas driving or operating machinery.
The most frequently reported adverse reactions related to nevirapine therapy, across all clinicalstudies, were rash, allergic reactions, hepatitis, abnormal liver function tests, nausea, vomiting,diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue, fever, headache and myalgia.
The postmarketing experience has shown that the most serious adverse reactions are Stevens-Johnsonsyndrome/ toxic epidermal necrolysis, serious hepatitis/hepatic failure, and drug reaction witheosinophilia and systemic symptoms, characterised by rash with constitutional symptoms such asfever, arthralgia, myalgia and lymphadenopathy, plus visceral involvement, such as hepatitis,eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, and renal dysfunction. The first 18 weeks of treatment is a criticalperiod which requires close monitoring (see section 4.4).
Tabulated summary of adverse reactionsThe following adverse reactions which may be causally related to the administration of nevirapinehave been reported. The frequencies estimated are based on pooled clinical study data for adversereactions considered related to nevirapine treatment.
Frequency is defined using the following convention: very common (≥1/10); common (≥1/100 to<1/10); uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100); rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000); very rare (<1/10,000).
Blood and lymphatic system disordersCommon granulocytopenia
Uncommon anaemia
Immune system disordersCommon hypersensitivity (incl. anaphylactic reaction, angioedema, urticaria)
Uncommon anaphylactic reaction
Rare drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms
Nervous system disordersCommon headache
Gastrointestinal disordersCommon nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea
Hepatobiliary disordersCommon hepatitis (including severe and life-threatening hepatotoxicity) (1.9%)
Uncommon jaundice
Rare hepatitis fulminant (which may be fatal)
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disordersVery common rash (12.5 %)
Uncommon Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (which may be fatal)(0.2 %), angioedema, urticaria
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disordersUncommon arthralgia, myalgia
General disorders and administration site conditionsCommon pyrexia, fatigue
InvestigationsCommon liver function tests abnormal (alanine aminotransferase increased; transaminasesincreased; aspartate aminotransferase increased; gamma-glutamyltransferaseincreased; hepatic enzyme increased; hypertransaminasaemia)
Uncommon blood phosphorus decreased; blood pressure increased
Description of selected adverse reactionsIn study 1100.1090, from which the majority of related adverse events (n=28) were received, patientson placebo had a higher incidence of events of granulocytopenia (3.3%) than patients on nevirapine(2.5%).
Anaphylactic reaction was identified through post-marketing surveillance but not observed inrandomised, controlled clinical studies. The frequency category was estimated from a statisticalcalculation based on the total number of patients exposed to nevirapine in randomised controlledclinical studies (n= 2,718).
Decreased blood phosphorus and increased blood pressure were observed in clinical studies with co-administration of tenofovir/emtricitabine.
Metabolic parametersWeight and levels of blood lipids and glucose may increase during antiretroviral therapy (seesection 4.4)
The following adverse reactions have also been reported when nevirapine has been used incombination with other anti-retroviral agents: pancreatitis, peripheral neuropathy andthrombocytopaenia. These adverse reactions are commonly associated with other antiretroviral agentsand may be expected to occur when nevirapine is used in combination with other agents; however it isunlikely that these adverse reactions are due to nevirapine treatment. Hepatic-renal failure syndromeshave been reported rarely.
In HIV-infected patients with severe immune deficiency at the time of initiation of combinationantiretroviral therapy (CART), an inflammatory reaction to asymptomatic or residual opportunisticinfections may arise. Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves’ disease and autoimmune hepatitis) havealso been reported; however, the reported time to onset is more variable and these events can occurmany months after initiation of treatment (see section 4.4).
Cases of osteonecrosis have been reported, particularly in patients with generally acknowledged riskfactors, advanced HIV disease or long-term exposure to combination antiretroviral therapy (CART).
The frequency of this is unknown (see section 4.4).
Skin and subcutaneous tissuesThe most common clinical toxicity of nevirapine is rash, with nevirapine attributable rash occurring in12.5 % of patients in combination regimens in controlled studies.
Rashes are usually mild to moderate, maculopapular erythematous cutaneous eruptions, with orwithout pruritus, located on the trunk, face and extremities. Hypersensitivity (anaphylactic reaction,angioedema and urticaria) have been reported. Rashes occur alone or in the context of drug reactionwith eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, characterised by rash with constitutional symptoms such asfever, arthralgia, myalgia and lympadenopathy, plus visceral involvement, such as hepatitis,eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, and renal dysfunction.
Severe and life-threatening skin reactions have occurred in patients treated with nevirapine, including
Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Fatal cases of SJS, TEN anddrug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms have been reported. The majority of severerashes occurred within the first 6 weeks of treatment and some required hospitalisation, with onepatient requiring surgical intervention (see section 4.4).
Hepato-biliaryThe most frequently observed laboratory test abnormalities are elevations in liver function tests(LFTs), including ALAT, ASAT, GGT, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. Asymptomaticelevations of GGT levels are the most frequent. Cases of jaundice have been reported. Cases ofhepatitis (severe and life-threatening hepatotoxicity, including fatal fulminant hepatitis) have beenreported in patients treated with nevirapine. The best predictor of a serious hepatic event was elevatedbaseline liver function tests. The first 18 weeks of treatment is a critical period which requires closemonitoring (see section 4.4).
Paediatric populationBased on clinical study experience of 361 paediatric patients the majority of which receivedcombination treatment with ZDV or/and ddI, the most frequently reported adverse events related tonevirapine were similar to those observed in adults. Granulocytopenia was more frequently observedin children. In an open-label clinical study (ACTG 180) granulocytopenia assessed as medicinalproduct-related occurred in 5/37 (13.5 %) of patients. In ACTG 245, a double-blind placebo controlledstudy, the frequency of serious medicinal product-related granulocytopenia was 5/305 (1.6 %).
Isolated cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome or Stevens-Johnson/toxic epidermal necrolysis transitionsyndrome have been reported in this population.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactionsReporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. Itallows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcareprofessionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the national reporting systemlisted in Appendix V.
There is no known antidote for nevirapine overdose. Cases of nevirapine overdose at doses rangingfrom 800 to 6,000 mg per day for up to 15 days have been reported. Patients have experiencedoedema, erythema nodosum, fatigue, fever, headache, insomnia, nausea, pulmonary infiltrates, rash,vertigo, vomiting, increase in transaminases and weight decrease. All of these effects subsidedfollowing discontinuation of nevirapine.
Paediatric populationOne case of massive accidental overdose in a newborn was reported. The ingested dose was 40 timesthe recommended dose of 2 mg/kg/day. Mild isolated neutropenia and hyperlactataemia was observed,which spontaneously disappeared within one week without any clinical complications. One year later,the child’s development remained normal.
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Antivirals for systemic use, non-nucleoside reverse transcriptaseinhibitors, ATC code J05AG01.
Mechanism of actionNevirapine is a NNRTI of HIV-1. Nevirapine is a non-competitive inhibitor of the HIV-1 reversetranscriptase, but it does not have a biologically significant inhibitory effect on the HIV-2 reversetranscriptase or on eukaryotic DNA polymerases α, β, γ, or δ.
Antiviral activity in vitroNevirapine had a median EC50 value (50% inhibitory concentration) of 63 nM against a panel of group
M HIV-1 isolates from clades A, B, C, D, F, G, and H, and circulating recombinant forms (CRF),
CRF01_AE, CRF02_AG and CRF12_BF replicating in human embryonic kidney 293 cells. In a panelof 2,923 predominantly subtype B HIV-1 clinical isolates, the mean EC50 value was 90 nM. Similar
EC50 values are obtained when the antiviral activity of nevirapine is measured in peripheral bloodmononuclear cells, monocyte derived macrophages or lymphoblastoid cell line. Nevirapine had noantiviral activity in cell culture against group O HIV-1 isolates or HIV-2 isolates.
Nevirapine in combination with efavirenz exhibited a strong antagonistic anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro(see section 4.5) and was additive to antagonistic with the protease inhibitor ritonavir or the fusioninhibitor enfuvirtide. Nevirapine exhibited additive to synergistic anti-HIV-1 activity in combinationwith the protease inhibitors amprenavir, atazanavir, indinavir, lopinavir, saquinavir and tipranavir, andthe NRTIs abacavir, didanosine, emtricitabine, lamivudine, stavudine, tenofovir and zidovudine. Theanti-HIV-1 activity of nevirapine was antagonized by the anti-HBV medicinal product adefovir and bythe anti-HCV medicinal product ribavirin in vitro.
ResistanceHIV-1 isolates with reduced susceptibility (100-250-fold) to nevirapine emerge in cell culture.
Genotypic analysis showed mutations in the HIV-1 RT gene Y181C and/or V106A depending uponthe virus strain and cell line employed. Time to emergence of nevirapine resistance in cell culture wasnot altered when selection included nevirapine in combination with several other NNRTIs.
Genotypic analysis of isolates from antiretroviral naïve patients experiencing virologic failure (n=71)receiving nevirapine once daily (n=25) or twice daily (n=46) in combination with lamivudine andstavudine for 48 weeks showed that isolates from 8/25 and 23/46 patients, respectively, contained oneor more of the following NNRTI resistance-associated substitutions:
Y181C, K101E, G190A/S, K103N, V106A/M, V108I, Y188C/L, A98G, F227L and M230L.
Cross-resistanceRapid emergence of HIV-strains which are cross-resistant to NNRTIs has been observed in vitro.
Cross resistance to delavirdine and efavirenz is expected after virologic failure with nevirapine.
Depending on resistance testing results, an etravirine-containing regimen may be used subsequently.
Cross-resistance between nevirapine and either HIV protease inhibitors, HIV integrase inhibitors or
HIV entry inhibitors is unlikely because the enzyme targets involved are different. Similarly thepotential for cross-resistance between nevirapine and NRTIs is low because the molecules havedifferent binding sites on the reverse transcriptase.
Clinical resultsNevirapine has been evaluated in both treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients.
Studies in treatment-naïve patients2NN study
The double non-nucleoside study 2 NN was a randomised, open-label, multicentre prospective studycomparing the NNRTIs nevirapine, efavirenz and both medicinal products given together.
1,216 antiretroviral-therapy naïve patients with plasma HIV-1 RNA > 5,000 copies/ml at baselinewere assigned to nevirapine 400 mg once daily, nevirapine 200 mg twice daily, efavirenz 600 mg oncedaily, or nevirapine (400 mg) and efavirenz (800 mg) once daily, plus stavudine and lamivudine for 48weeks.
The primary endpoint, treatment failure, was defined as less than 1 log10 decline in plasma HIV-1
RNA in the first 12 weeks, or two consecutive measurements of more than 50 copies/ ml from week24 onwards, or disease progression.
Median age was 34 years and about 64% were male patients, median CD4 cell count was 170 and190 cells per mm3 in the nevirapine twice daily and efavirenz groups, respectively. There were nosignificant differences in demographic and baseline characteristics between the treatment groups.
The predetermined primary efficacy comparison was between the nevirapine twice daily and theefavirenz treatment groups.
The nevirapine twice daily regimen and the efavirenz regimen were not significantly different (p=0.091) in terms of efficacy as measured by treatment failure, or any component of treatment failureincluding virological failure.
The simultaneous use of nevirapine (400 mg) plus efavirenz (800 mg) was associated with the highestfrequency of clinical adverse events and with the highest rate of treatment failure (53.1%). As theregimen of nevirapine plus efavirenz did not have additional efficacy and caused more adverse eventsthan each medicinal product separately, this regimen is not recommended.
Twenty per cent of patients assigned to nevirapine twice daily and 18% of patients assigned toefavirenz had at least one grade 3 or 4 clinical adverse event. Clinical hepatitis reported as clinicaladverse event occurred in 10 (2.6%) and 2 (0.5%) patients in the nevirapine twice daily and efavirenzgroups respectively. The proportion of patients with at least one grade 3 or 4 liver-associatedlaboratory toxicity was 8.3% for nevirapine twice daily and 4.5% for efavirenz. Of the patients withgrade 3 or 4 liver-associated laboratory toxicity, the proportions coinfected with hepatitis B orhepatitis C virus were 6.7% and 20.0% in the nevirapine twice daily group, 5.6% and 11.1% in theefavirenz group.
2NN Three-year follow-up-study
This is a retrospective multicentre study comparing the 3-year antiviral efficacy of nevirapine andefavirenz in combination with stavudine and lamivudine in 2NN patients from week 49 to week 144.
Patients who participated in the 2NN study and were still under active follow-up at week 48 when thestudy closed and were still being treated at the study clinic, were asked to participate in this study.
Primary study endpoints (percentage of patients with treatment failures) and secondary studyendpoints as well as backbone therapy were similar to the original 2NN study.
A durable response to nevirapine for at least three years was documented in this study, andequivalence within a 10% range was demonstrated between nevirapine 200 mg twice daily andefavirenz with respect to treatment failure. Both, the primary (p = 0.92) and secondary endpointsshowed no statistically significant differences between efavirenz and nevirapine 200 mg twice daily.
Studies in treatment-experienced patients
NEFA study
The NEFA study is a controlled prospective randomised study which evaluated treatment options forpatients who switch from protease inhibitor (PI) based regimen with undetectable load to eithernevirapine, efavirenz or abacavir.
The study randomly assigned 460 adults who were taking two nucleoside reverse-transcriptaseinhibitors and at least one PI and whose plasma HIV-1 RNA levels had been less than 200 c/ml for atleast the previous six months to switch from the PI to nevirapine (155 patients), efavirenz (156), orabacavir (149).
The primary study endpoint was death, progression to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or anincrease in HIV-1 RNA levels to 200 copies or more per millilitre.
At 12 months, the Kaplan-Meier estimates of the likelihood of reaching the endpoint were 10 % in thenevirapine group, 6 % in the efavirenz group, and 13 percent in the abacavir group (P=0.10 accordingto an intention-to-treat analysis).
The overall incidence of adverse events was significantly lower (61 patients, or 41%) in the abacavirgroup than in the nevirapine group (83 patients, or 54%) or the efavirenz group (89 patients, or 57%).
Significantly fewer patients in the abacavir group (9 patients, or 6%) than in the nevirapine group (26patients, or 17%) or the efavirenz group (27 patients, or 17%) discontinued the medicinal productbecause of adverse events.
Perinatal Transmission
Numerous studies have been performed examining the use of nevirapine in regards to perinataltransmission, most notably HIVNET 012. This study demonstrated a significant reduction intransmission using single dose nevirapine (13.1 % (n = 310) in the nevirapine group, versus 25.1 % (n= 308) in the ultra-short zidovudine group (p = 0.00063)). Monotherapy with nevirapine has beenassociated with the development of NNRTI resistance. Single dose nevirapine in mothers or infantsmay lead to reduced efficacy if an HIV treatment regimen using nevirapine is later instituted within 6months or less in these patients. Combination of other antiretrovirals with single-dose nevirapineattenuates the emergence of nevirapine resistance. Where other antiretroviral medicines are accessible,the single dose nevirapine regimen should be combined with additional effective antiretroviralmedicines (as recommended in internationally recognized guidelines).
The clinical relevance of these data in European populations has not been established. Furthermore, inthe case nevirapine is used as single dose to prevent vertical transmission of HIV-1 infection, the riskof hepatotoxicity in mother and child cannot be excluded.
Paediatric populationResults of a 48-week analysis of the South African study BI 1100.1368 confirmed that the 4/7 mg/kgand 150 mg/m2 nevirapine dose groups were well tolerated and effective in treating antiretroviral naivepaediatric patients. A marked improvement in the CD4+ cell percent was observed through Week 48for both dose groups. Also, both dosing regimens were effective in reducing the viral load. In this 48-week study no unexpected safety findings were observed in either dosing group.
Absorption: Nevirapine is readily absorbed (> 90 %) after oral administration in healthy volunteersand in adults with HIV-1 infection. Absolute bioavailability in 12 healthy adults following single-doseadministration was 93 ± 9% (mean SD) for a 50 mg tablet and 91 ± 8 % for an oral solution. Peakplasma nevirapine concentrations of 2 ± 0.4 μg/ml (7.5 μM) were attained by 4 hours following asingle 200 mg dose. Following multiple doses, nevirapine peak concentrations appear to increaselinearly in the dose range of 200 to 400 mg/day. Data reported in the literature from 20 HIV-infectedpatients suggest a steady state Cmax of 5.74 μg/ml (5.00-7.44) and Cmin of 3.73 μg/ml (3.20-5.08) withan AUC of 109.0 h*μg/ml (96.0-143.5) in patients taking 200 mg of nevirapine bid. Other publisheddata support these conclusions. Long-term efficacy appears to be most likely in patients whosenevirapine trough levels exceed 3.5 μg/ml.
Distribution: Nevirapine is lipophilic and is essentially nonionized at physiologic pH. Followingintravenous administration to healthy adults, the volume of distribution (Vdss) of nevirapine was1.21 ± 0.09 l/kg, suggesting that nevirapine is widely distributed in humans. Nevirapine readilycrosses the placenta and is found in breast milk. Nevirapine is about 60 % bound to plasma proteins inthe plasma concentration range of 1-10 μg/ml. Nevirapine concentrations in human cerebrospinal fluid(n = 6) were 45 % (± 5 %) of the concentrations in plasma; this ratio is approximately equal to thefraction not bound to plasma protein.
Biotransformation and elimination: In vivo studies in humans and in vitro studies with human livermicrosomes have shown that nevirapine is extensively biotransformed via cytochrome P450(oxidative) metabolism to several hydroxylated metabolites. In vitro studies with human livermicrosomes suggest that oxidative metabolism of nevirapine is mediated primarily by cytochrome
P450 isozymes from the CYP3A family, although other isozymes may have a secondary role. In amass balance/excretion study in eight healthy male volunteers dosed to steady state with nevirapine200 mg given twice daily followed by a single 50 mg dose of 14C-nevirapine, approximately91.4 ± 10.5 % of the radiolabelled dose was recovered, with urine (81.3 ± 11.1 %) representing theprimary route of excretion compared to faeces (10.1 ± 1.5%). Greater than 80 % of the radioactivity inurine was made up of glucuronide conjugates of hydroxylated metabolites. Thus cytochrome P450metabolism, glucuronide conjugation, and urinary excretion of glucuronidated metabolites representthe primary route of nevirapine biotransformation and elimination in humans. Only a small fraction(< 5 %) of the radioactivity in urine (representing < 3 % of the total dose) was made up of parentcompound; therefore, renal excretion plays a minor role in elimination of the parent compound.
Nevirapine has been shown to be an inducer of hepatic cytochrome P450 metabolic enzymes. Thepharmacokinetics of autoinduction is characterised by an approximately 1.5 to 2 fold increase in theapparent oral clearance of nevirapine as treatment continues from a single dose to two-to-four weeksof dosing with 200-400 mg/day. Autoinduction also results in a corresponding decrease in the terminalphase half-life of nevirapine in plasma from approximately 45 hours (single dose) to approximately25-30 hours following multiple dosing with 200-400 mg/day.
Special populations:Renal dysfunction: The single-dose pharmacokinetics of nevirapine has been compared in 23 patientswith either mild (50 ≤ CLcr < 80 ml/min), moderate (30 ≤ CLcr < 50 ml/min) or severe renaldysfunction (CLcr < 30 ml/min), renal impairment or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiringdialysis, and 8 patients with normal renal function (CLcr > 80 ml/min). Renal impairment (mild,moderate and severe) resulted in no significant change in the pharmacokinetics of nevirapine.
However, patients with ESRD requiring dialysis exhibited a 43.5 % reduction in nevirapine AUC overa one-week exposure period. There was also accumulation of nevirapine hydroxy-metabolites inplasma. The results suggest that supplementing nevirapine therapy with an additional 200 mg dose ofnevirapine following each dialysis treatment would help offset the effects of dialysis on nevirapineclearance. Otherwise patients with CLcr ≥ 20 ml/min do not require an adjustment in nevirapinedosing.
Hepatic dysfunction: A steady state study comparing 46 patients withmild (n=17: Ishak Score 1-2),moderate (n=20; Ishak Score 3-4),or severe (n=9; Ishak Score 5-6, Child-Pugh A in 8 pts., for 1 Child-Pugh score not applicable) liverfibrosis as a measure of hepatic impairment was conducted.
The patients studied were receiving antiretroviral therapy containing nevirapine 200 mg twice dailyfor at least 6 weeks prior to pharmacokinetic sampling, with a median duration of therapy of 3.4 years.
In this study, the multiple dose pharmacokinetic disposition of nevirapine and the five oxidativemetabolites were not altered.
However, approximately 15 % of these patients with hepatic fibrosis had nevirapine troughconcentrations above 9,000 ng/ml (2 fold the usual mean trough). Patients with hepatic impairmentshould be monitored carefully for evidence of medicinal product induced toxicity.
In a 200 mg nevirapine single dose pharmacokinetic study of HIV-negative patients with mild andmoderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A, n=6; Child-Pugh B, n=4), a significant increase in the
AUC of nevirapine was observed in one Child-Pugh B patient with ascites suggesting that patientswith worsening hepatic function and ascites may be at risk of accumulating nevirapine in the systemiccirculation. Because nevirapine induces its own metabolism with multiple dosing, this single dosestudy may not reflect the impact of hepatic impairment on multiple dose pharmacokinetics (see section4.4).
Gender and older people
In the multinational 2NN study, a population pharmacokinetic substudy of 1,077 patients wasperformed that included 391 females. Female patients showed a 13.8 % lower clearance of nevirapinethan did male patients. This difference is not considered clinically relevant. Since neither body weightnor Body Mass Index (BMI) had influence on the clearance of nevirapine, the effect of gender cannotbe explained by body size. Nevirapine pharmacokinetics in HIV-1 infected adults does not appear tochange with age (range 19-68 years) or race (Black, Hispanic, or Caucasian).
Nevirapine has not been specifically investigated in patients over the age of 65.
Paediatric populationData concerning the pharmacokinetics of nevirapine have been derived from two major sources: a 48week paediatric study in South Africa (BI 1100.1368) involving 123 HIV-1 positive, antiretroviralnaïve patients aged 3 months to 16 years; and a consolidated analysis of five Paediatric AIDS Clinical
Trials Group (PACTG) protocols comprising 495 patients aged 14 days to 19 years.
Pharmacokinetic data on 33 patients (age range 0.77 - 13.7 years) in the intensive sampling groupdemonstrated that clearance of nevirapine increased with increasing age in a manner consistent withincreasing body surface area. Dosing of nevirapine at 150 mg/m2 BID (after a two-week lead in at150 mg/m2 QD) produced geometric mean or mean trough nevirapine concentrations between4-6 μg/ml (as targeted from adult data). In addition, the observed trough nevirapine concentrationswere comparable between the two methods.
The consolidated analysis of Paediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG) protocols 245, 356, 366,377, and 403 allowed for the evaluation of paediatric patients less than 3 months of age (n=17)enrolled in these PACTG studies. The plasma nevirapine concentrations observed were within therange observed in adults and the remainder of the paediatric population, but were more variablebetween patients, particularly in the second month of age.
Non-clinical data reveal no special hazard for humans other than those observed in clinical studiesbased on conventional studies of safety, pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity, and genotoxicity. Incarcinogenicity studies, nevirapine induces hepatic tumours in rats and mice. These findings are mostlikely related to nevirapine being a strong inducer of liver enzymes, and not due to a genotoxic modeof action.
Microcrystalline cellulose
Lactose (as monohydrate)
Povidone K25
Sodium starch glycolate (Type A)
Colloidal silicon dioxide
Magnesium stearate
Not applicable.
2 years
This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.
Treatment initiation pack
White opaque PVC/PE/PVdC - Aluminium blisters or OPA/Alu/PVC - Aluminium blisters. Cartonscontaining 14 tablets (Calendar Pack).
Maintenance packsWhite opaque PVC/PE/PVdC - Aluminium blisters or OPA/Alu/PVC - Aluminium blisters. Cartonscontaining 60 or 120 tablets.
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Any unused medicinal product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with localrequirements.
Teva B.V.
Swensweg 52031GA Haarlem
The Netherlands
EU/1/09/598/001-006
Date of first authorisation: 30 November 2009
Date of latest renewal: 26 August 2014
Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the European Medicines
Agency http://www.ema.europa.eu