Not an actual patient
AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome—the late stage of infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
Antiretroviral therapy: treatment with drugs that inhibit HIV or other types of viruses called "retroviruses" from multiplying in the body.
Bilirubin: a product that results from the breakdown of hemoglobin. Total and direct bilirubin are usually measured to screen for or to monitor liver or gallbladder problems.
cART: "Combination Antiretroviral Therapy" is a type of combination therapy used to treat HIV infection, which typically uses three drugs from at least two different classes of drugs (for example, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors).
CD4+ cell (T cell): one of the types of cells that your immune system uses to protect your body from infection. HIV attacks these types of cells and uses them to make more copies of HIV. CD4+ cell counts are one way your doctor tests how your body and HIV drugs are fighting HIV. The higher the number of CD4+ cells, the stronger your immune system.
Clinical trial: a research study that tests the safety of and how well a drug works in humans.
Drug resistance: the mutation of an organism, such as HIV, in such a way that it changes its sensitivity to a drug. HIV drugs are often used in combination to prevent drug resistance.
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
Immune system: your body's defense system against infection and certain diseases. It includes specialized cells such as B cells, T cells, and antibodies that protect the body.
Jaundice: a yellowing of the skin, eyes, and urine due to excess bilirubin in the body.
Mutation: a change in a gene or unit of hereditary material in a virus or cell that changes the process of making copies of itself.
Opportunistic infections: an infection that occurs because of a weakened immune system (for example tuberculosis, Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia, and thrush).
Protease inhibitor (PI): a type of anti-HIV drug that prevents the virus from making new copies of itself. PIs work by disrupting the normal function of the enzyme HIV protease and prevents virus replication. Protease inhibitors are taken in combination with other anti-HIV medications. PIs in combination therapy are able to lower the HIV level in the blood until it cannot be measured with current tests.
Regimen: a systematic treatment plan that a doctor prescribes to treat a medical condition, such as HIV.
Scleral icterus: a medical condition in which the whites of your eyes take on a yellowish color.
Side effects: unwanted events like headache, fever, and nausea that may occur when taking medications.
Undetectable: When the amount of HIV in the blood is too low to be detected with a viral load test.
Viral load: the amount of HIV circulating in your body (usually measured in “copies per milliliter” or “copies/mL”). Measuring viral load is important because it determines the amount of HIV in the blood and the severity of disease.
Do not take EVOTAZ if you:
Before taking EVOTAZ, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines interact with EVOTAZ. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start taking any new medicines without first talking to your healthcare provider.
EVOTAZ can cause serious side effects, including:
The most common side effects of EVOTAZ are yellowing of the skin and rash.
These are not all the possible side effects of EVOTAZ.
Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.