Nevirapine
Also sold as: Viramune
Related Medications
These drugs share a pharmacologic classification but are NOT interchangeable. Listing here does not imply clinical equivalence. A physician must evaluate each drug individually for the patient's specific condition.
Classification: Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (source: RxClass/NLM)
- rilpivirineHuman Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Non-Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase InhibitorSame Class
- efavirenzHuman Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Non-Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase InhibitorSame Class
- doravirineHuman Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Non-Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase InhibitorSame Class
- etravirineHuman Immunodeficiency Virus 1 Non-Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase InhibitorSame Class
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Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action Nevirapine is an antiretroviral drug [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS & USAGE Nevirapine extended-release tablets are indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age or older with a body surface area (BSA) of 1.17 m 2 or greater [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 , 14.2 )]. Limitations of Use: Based on serious and life-threatening hepatotoxicity observed in controlled and uncontrolled trials, nevirapine extended-release tablets are not recommended to be initiated, unless the benefit outweighs the risk, in: • adult females with CD4 + cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm 3 or • adult males with CD4 + cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm 3 [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. • Nevirapine extended-release tablets are an NNRTI indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age or older with a BSA of 1.17 m 2 or greater. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use: Based on serious and life-threatening hepatotoxicity observed in controlled and uncontrolled trials, nevirapine extended-release tablets are not recommended to be initiated, unless the benefit outweighs the risk, in: • adult females with CD4 + cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm 3 • adult males with CD4 + cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm 3 ( 1 , 5.1 )
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION • The 14-day lead-in period with immediate-release nevirapine tablets (200 mg once daily) must be strictly followed; it has been demonstrated to reduce the frequency of rash. ( 2.5 , 5.2 ) • Must be swallowed whole and must not be chewed, crushed, or divided. ( 2.1 ) • Adult patients must initiate therapy with one 200 mg immediate-release nevirapine tablet once daily for the first 14 days, followed by one 400 mg tablet of nevirapine extended-release tablets once daily. ( 2.2 ) • Adult patients already on a regimen of immediate-release nevirapine tablets twice daily can be switched to nevirapine extended-release tablets 400 mg once daily without the 14-day lead-in period of immediate-release nevirapine tablets. ( 2.2 ) • Pediatric patients (ages 6 to less than 18 years with a BSA of 1.17 m 2 or greater) must initiate therapy with immediate-release nevirapine tablets (as 150 mg/m2 of Nevirapine Oral Suspension or as nevirapine tablet) at a dose not to exceed 200 mg per day administered once daily for the first 14 days, followed by nevirapine extended-release tablets 400 mg once daily. ( 2.3 ) • Pediatric patients with a BSA of 1.17 m 2 or greater already on a regimen of twice daily nevirapine tablets Oral Suspension or immediate-release nevirapine can be switched to nevirapine extended-release tablets 400 mg once daily without the 14-day lead-in period of nevirapine Oral Suspension or immediate-release nevirapine tablets. ( 2.3 ) • If any patient experiences rash during the 14-day lead-in period with immediate-release nevirapine tablets do not initiate nevirapine extended-release tablets until the rash has resolved. Do not continue the immediate-release nevirapine tablets lead-in dosing regimen beyond 28 days. ( 2.5 ) • If dosing is interrupted for greater than 7 days, restart 14-day lead-in dosing. ( 2.5 ) 2.1 General Dosing Considerations Nevirapine extended-release tablets must be swallowed whole and must not be chewed, crushed, or divided. Pediatric patients should be assessed for their ability to swallow the extended-release tablets before prescribing nevirapine extended-release tablets. Nevirapine extended-release tablets can be taken with or without food. 2.2 Recommended Dosage in Adult Patients Patients not currently taking immediate-release nevirapine Patients must initiate therapy with one 200-mg tablet of immediate-release nevirapine tablets daily for the first 14 days in combination with other antiretroviral agents. The 14-day lead-in period with nevirapine tablets 200 mg daily dosing must be strictly followed (the lead-in period has been observed to decrease the incidence of rash), followed by one 400-mg tablet of nevirapine extended-release tablets once daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. If rash persists beyond the 14-day lead-in period with immediate-release nevirapine tablets, do not begin dosing with nevirapine extended-release tablets. The lead-in dosing with 200 mg once daily immediate-release nevirapine tablets should not be continued beyond 28 days, at which point an alternative regimen should be sought. Switching patients from immediate-release nevirapine tablets to nevirapine extended-release tablets Patients already on a regimen of immediate-release nevirapine tablets twice daily in combination with other antiretroviral agents can be switched to nevirapine extended-release tablets 400 mg once daily without the 14-day lead-in period. Patients already on a regimen of immediate-release nevirapine tablets twice daily who switch to nevirapine extended-release tablets therapy should continue with their ongoing clinical and laboratory monitoring. 2.3 Recommended Dosage in Pediatric Patients Nevirapine extended-release tablet in pediatric patients is dosed based on body surface area (BSA) calculated using the Mosteller formula. All pediatric patients must initiate therapy with immediate-release nevirapine tablets (as 150 mg/m 2 of Nevirapine Oral Suspension or as nevirapine tablets), at a dose not to exceed 200 mg per day, administered once daily for the first 14 days. This lead-in period should be used because it has been demonstrated to reduce the frequency of rash. This lead-in period is not required if the patient is already on a regimen of twice daily immediate-release formulation in combination with other antiretroviral agents. The recommended oral dosage of nevirapine extended-release tablets for pediatric patients with a BSA of 1.17 m 2 or greater is 400 mg following the lead-in period with immediate-release nevirapine tablets. The total daily dose should not exceed 400 mg for any patient. formula 2.4 Monitoring of Patients Intensive clinical and laboratory monitoring, including liver enzyme tests, is essential at baseline and during the first 18 weeks of treatment with nevirapine. The optimal frequency of monitoring during this period has not been established. Some experts recommend clinical and laboratory moni
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS • Adult patients: The most common adverse reaction is rash. During the lead-in period with immediate-release nevirapine tablets, the incidence of Grade 2 or higher drug-related rash in adults is 3%. After the lead-in period the incidence of Grade 2 or higher drug-related rash in subjects taking nevirapine extended-release tablets is 3%. The incidence of Grade 2 or higher drug-related clinical hepatitis after the lead-in phase was 2%. ( 6.1 ) • Pediatric patients: The incidence of Grade 2 or higher drug-related rash was 1%. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Macleods Pharma USA, Inc. at 1-888-943-3210 or 1-855-926-3384 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Clinical Trial Experience in Adult Patients The most serious adverse reactions associated with nevirapine are hepatitis, hepatic failure, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and hypersensitivity reactions. Hepatitis/hepatic failure may be isolated or associated with signs of hypersensitivity which may include severe rash or rash accompanied by fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial edema, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, or renal dysfunction [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.2 )]. The most common clinical toxicity of nevirapine is rash, which can be severe or life-threatening [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. Rash occurs most frequently within the first 6 weeks of therapy. Rashes are usually mild to moderate, maculopapular erythematous cutaneous eruptions, with or without pruritus, located on the trunk, face and extremities. The safety database in nevirapine extended-release tablets clinical trials contains data from 800 subjects treated with nevirapine extended-release tablets and 654 subjects treated with immediate-release nevirapine tablets. Trial 1100.1486 (VERxVE) In Trial 1100.1486 (VERxVE), treatment-naïve subjects received a lead-in dose of immediate-release nevirapine tablets 200 mg once daily for 14 days (n=1,068) and then were randomized to receive either immediate-release nevirapine tablets 200 mg twice daily (n=506) or nevirapine extended-release tablets 400 mg once daily (n=505). All subjects received tenofovir + emtricitabine as background therapy. Subjects were enrolled with CD4 + counts less than 250 cells/mm 3 for women and less than 400 cells/mm3 for men [see Indications and Usage ( 1 )]. Data on potential symptoms of hepatic events were prospectively collected in this trial. The safety data include all subject visits up to the time of the last subject’s completion of the 96-week endpoint in the trial (mean observation period 98 weeks). After the lead-in period, the incidence of any hepatic event was 9% in the immediate-release nevirapine tablets group and 6% in the nevirapine extended-release tablets group; the incidence of symptomatic hepatic events (anorexia, jaundice, vomiting) was 3% and 2%, respectively. The incidence of GRADE 3 or 4 ALT/AST elevation was 8% in both the immediate-release nevirapine tablets group and nevirapine extended-release tablets group. Overall, there was a comparable incidence of symptomatic hepatic events among men and women enrolled in VERxVE. Severe or life-threatening rash considered to be related to nevirapine treatment occurred in 1% of subjects during the lead-in phase with immediate-release nevirapine tablets, and in 1% of subjects in either treatment group during the randomized phase. In addition, six cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome were reported; all but one occurred within the first 30 days of nevirapine treatment. No Grade 2 or above adverse reactions judged to be related to treatment by the investigator occurred in more than 2% of subjects during the 14-day lead-in with immediate-release nevirapine tablets (200 mg once daily), except for rash which occurred in 4% of subjects. Adverse reactions of at least moderate intensity (Grades 2 or above) occurring in 2% or more of treatment-naïve subjects receiving either immediate-release nevirapine tablets or nevirapine extended-release tablets after randomization in Trial 1100.1486 are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Selected Clinical Adverse Drug Reactions* of at least Moderate Intensity (Grade 2 or above) Occurring in 2% or more of Adult Subjects - Week 96 Analysis of Trial 1100.1486 1 Adverse Drug Reaction Immediate-Release Nevirapine Tablets N=506 (%) Nevirapine Extended-Release Tablets N = 505 (%) Rash 2 4 5 Diarrhea 4 4 Headache 4 4 Clinical Hepatitis 3 4 2 Abdominal Pain 2 3 Arthralgia 2 2 Pyrexia 2 1 Nausea 2 1 Fatigue 2 2 * Excludes laboratory abnormalitie
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Nevirapine is principally metabolized by the liver via the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, 3A and 2B6. Nevirapine is known to be an inducer of these enzymes. As a result, drugs that are metabolized by these enzyme systems may have lower than expected plasma levels when co-administered with nevirapine. The results of drug interactions studies with immediate-release nevirapine tablets are expected to also apply to nevirapine extended-release tablets. The specific pharmacokinetic changes that occur with co-administration of nevirapine and other drugs are listed in Clinical Pharmacology , Table 4. Clinical comments about possible dosage modifications based on established drug interactions are listed in Table 3. The data in Tables 3 and 4 are based on the results of drug interaction studies conducted in HIV-1 seropositive subjects unless otherwise indicated. In addition to established drug interactions, there may be potential pharmacokinetic interactions between nevirapine and other drug classes that are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system. These potential drug interactions are also listed in Table 3. Although specific drug interaction studies in HIV-1 seropositive subjects have not been conducted for some classes of drugs listed in Table 3, additional clinical monitoring may be warranted when co-administering these drugs. The in vitro interaction between nevirapine and the antithrombotic agent warfarin is complex. As a result, when giving these drugs concomitantly, plasma warfarin levels may change with the potential for increases in coagulation time. When warfarin is co-administered with nevirapine, anticoagulation levels should be monitored frequently. Table 3 Established and Potential Drug Interactions: Use with Caution, Alteration in Dose or Regimen May Be Needed Due to Drug Interaction Established Drug Interactions: See Clinical Pharmacology (12.3), Table 4 for Magnitude of Interaction. Drug Name Effect on Concentration of Nevirapine or Concomitant Drug Clinical Comment HIV Antiviral Agents: Protease Inhibitors (PIs) Atazanavir/Ritonavir* ↓ Atazanavir ↑ Nevirapine Do not co-administer nevirapine with atazanavir because nevirapine substantially decreases atazanavir exposure and there is a potential risk for nevirapine-associated toxicity due to increased nevirapine exposures. Fosamprenavir* ↓Amprenavir ↑Nevirapine Co-administration of nevirapine and fosamprenavir without ritonavir is not recommended. Fosamprenavir/Ritonavir* ↓Amprenavir ↑Nevirapine No dosing adjustments are required when nevirapine is co-administered with 700/100 mg of fosamprenavir/ritonavir twice daily. The combination of nevirapine administered with fosamprenavir/ritonavir once daily has not been studied. Indinavir* ↓ Indinavir The appropriate doses of this combination of indinavir and nevirapine with respect to efficacy and safety have not been established. Lopinavir/Ritonavir* ↓Lopinavir Dosing in adult patients: A dose adjustment of lopinavir/ritonavir to 500/125 mg tablets twice daily or 533/133 mg (6.5 mL) oral solution twice daily is recommended when used in combination with nevirapine. Neither lopinavir/ritonavir tablets nor oral solution should be administered once daily in combination with nevirapine. Dosing in pediatric patients: Please refer to the Kaletra® prescribing information for dosing recommendations based on body surface area and body weight. Neither lopinavir/ritonavir tablets nor oral solution should be administered once daily in combination with nevirapine. Nelfinavir* ↓Nelfinavir M8 Metabolite ↓Nelfinavir C min The appropriate doses of the combination of nevirapine and nelfinavir with respect to safety and efficacy have not been established. Saquinavir/Ritonavir The interaction between nevirapine and saquinavir/ritonavir has not been evaluated. The appropriate doses of the combination of nevirapine and saquinavir/ritonavir with respect to safety and efficacy have not been established. HIV Antiviral Agents: Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NNRTIs) Efavirenz* Etravirine Rilpivirine ↓ Efavirenz The appropriate doses of these combinations with respect to safety and efficacy have not been established. Plasma concentrations may be altered. Nevirapine should not be coadministered with another NNRTI as this combination has not been shown to be beneficial. Other Agents Analgesics: Methadone* ↓ Methadone Methadone levels were decreased; increased dosages may be required to prevent symptoms of opiate withdrawal. Methadone-maintained patients beginning nevirapine therapy should be monitored for evidence of withdrawal and methadone dose should be adjusted accordingly. Antiarrhythmics: Amiodarone, disopyramide, lidocaine Plasma concentrations may be decreased. Appropriate doses for this combination have not been established. Antibiotics: Clarithromycin* ↓ Clarithromycin ↑ 14-OH clarithromycin Clarithromycin exposure was significantly decreased by nevirapine; however, 14-OH metabolite concent
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Nevirapine extended-release tablets are contraindicated: • in patients with moderate or severe (Child-Pugh Class B or C, respectively) hepatic impairment [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Use in Specific Populations ( 8.7 )] . • for use as part of occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. • Patients with moderate or severe (Child-Pugh Class B or C, respectively) hepatic impairment. ( 4 , 5.1 , 8.7 ) • Use as part of occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens, an unapproved use. ( 4 , 5.1 )
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Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.