Emtricitabine

At Emtricitabine is a medicinal substance that belongs to the group of chemical analogs. Emtricitabine is one of the nucleosides, more precisely to the substance cytidine. Emtricitabine has a virostatic effect in the human organism and is therefore used, among other things, to treat HIV, both for people with HIV-1 and HIV-2.

What is emtricitabine?

Basically, emtricitabine is a virostatic agent and belongs to the reverse transcriptase inhibitors of the nucleosides. Emtricitabine is mainly used in combination antiretroviral treatments. Together with the medical active ingredient tenofovir, emtricitabine is used in numerous drugs that doctors prescribe for the prophylaxis of AIDS.

However, emtricitabine is not only suitable for drug therapy for HIV, but also for the treatment of viruses that cause hepatitis B. In principle, emtricitabine belongs to the active ingredient group of analogones and belongs to cytidine. The highly antiviral effect of emtricitabin makes the drug particularly interesting for the treatment of HIV infections.

At room temperature, the substance emtricitabine is usually in a solid state. The melting point of the drug is between 136 and 140 degrees Celsius. In addition, the substance emtricitabine is only moderately to slightly soluble in water. A solution of emtricitabine in ethanol is also possible in some cases. The chemical structural formula of emtricitabine is characterized by a pyrimidine ring. This ring indicates that the drug emtricitabine belongs to the chemical analogues.

A benzene ring is found in the second section of the chemical structural formula of emtricitabine. This ring indicates that emtricitabine is an aromatic hydrocarbon compound. In principle, the active ingredient emtricitabine is relatively similar to the drug lamivudine, as both drugs are based on a joint pharmaceutical development. Lamivudine is also used in HIV therapy.

The substance emtricitabine is currently used in three fixed combinations. Since the relationship between the benefits and risks of emtricitabine is relatively favorable, the active ingredient is suitable as first-line medication. People with HIV infection receive a single tablet to treat their symptoms. Pharmaceutical manufacturers also use emtricitabine together with rilpivirine and tenofovir to increase the effectiveness of all substances and to compensate for disadvantages.

Pharmacological effect on the body and organs

Emtricitabine is a very effective antiviral drug that slows down the spread of viruses in the human organism. For this reason, the substance emtricitabine is ideally suited for use in drug therapy for HIV. Emtricitabine, for example, is more effective than the drug stavudine and lowers the viral load more than the active ingredient lamivudine.

Emtricitabine also has a longer half-life than lamivudine. In addition, it does not lead to resistance as quickly. Both drugs will be lost if the patient has a point mutation in M184V. From a structural point of view, the only difference between emtricitabine and lamivudine is a specific fluorine atom in the pyrimidine ring.

The main reason why emtricitabine works is that the substance affects and slows down viral reverse transcriptase. The elimination half-life of emtricitabine is ten hours, so patients take the drug once a day. After ingestion, the molecules of emtricitabine penetrate cells that are infected by the corresponding viruses. There it comes to a phosphorylation, whereby substances of the emtricitabins pass into the genetic material of the viruses. In this way, it is difficult for the viruses to multiply and spread.

Medical application & use for treatment & prevention

Emtricitabine is primarily used as a drug for HIV infections. On the other hand, it can also be used for drug treatment of hepatitis B, since emtricitabine also inhibits these viruses. The drug emtricitabine is currently available under the trade names Truvada®, Emtriva® and Atripla®.

Patients are given emtricitabine in the form of tablets, so oral administration is practical. A prescription of emtricitabine is possible both for patients who have already received therapy and as part of initial medication. However, at least four months of age is a prerequisite for the administration of emtricitabine.

The tablets usually contain 200 milligrams of emtricitabine and can also be taken without meals. The rule is that patients take one tablet per day. In children, body weight is decisive for the dosage of emtricitabine.

Risks & side effects

The manufacturers of the active ingredient advertise that the drug is very well tolerated. However, numerous undesirable side effects are possible after taking emtricitabine. However, their strength is different for each person, and side effects do not develop in every case.

Children who take emtricitabine are primarily at risk of anemia. In addition, the administration of the active ingredient emtricitabine sometimes creates hyperpigmented areas on the skin. General side effects of emtricitabine include nausea and vomiting as well as dizziness.

Some patients also experience insomnia from taking emtricitabine continuously. Both difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep are possible. In addition, hyperlipidemia and itching can sometimes develop on the skin. Rhabdomyolysis also sometimes develops as a result of the administration of emtricitabine.