Drug information

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Brand Name
Triumeq, Triumeq PD
Other Names
ABC / DTG / 3TC, abacavir sulfate / dolutegravir sodium / lamivudine
Drug Class
Combination Drugs
Integrase Strand Transfer Inhibitor (dolutegravir)
Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor (abacavir, lamivudine)
Drug Image(s): (Click to enlarge)

(The drug image[s] shown above are of brand products only. There may be other available products not shown.)

 

What are the most important things to know about Triumeq and Triumeq PD?What are the most important things to know about Triumeq and Triumeq PD?

What are the most important things to know about Triumeq and Triumeq PD?

Triumeq and Triumeq PD can cause serious, life-threatening side effects. These include allergic reactions, a buildup of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis), liver problems, and drug interactions.

Triumeq and Triumeq PD contain abacavir, an HIV medicine. People who take abacavir-containing products, including Triumeq and Triumeq PD, may have a serious allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death. Your risk of this allergic reaction is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your health care provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation.

If you get a symptom from two or more of the following groups while taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD, contact your health care provider right away to find out if you should stop taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD.

  • Group 1 Symptoms: Fever
  • Group 2 Symptoms: Rash
  • Group 3 Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach/abdominal pain
  • Group 4 Symptoms: General ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness
  • Group 5 Symptoms: Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat

Your pharmacist will give you a Warning Card with a list of these symptoms. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times.

If you stop taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD because of an allergic reaction, never take Triumeq or Triumeq PD or any other medicine that contains abacavir or dolutegravir again. If you take Triumeq or Triumeq PD or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get life-threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or lead to death.

If you stop Triumeq or Triumeq PD for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to Triumeq or Triumeq PD, talk with your health care provider before taking it again. Taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to Triumeq or Triumeq PD before. If your health care provider tells you that you can take Triumeq or Triumeq PD again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a health care provider if you need one.

Contact your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis:

  • Weakness or tiredness
  • Unusual muscle pain
  • Shortness of breath or fast breathing
  • Stomach pain with nausea and vomiting
  • Cold or blue hands and feet
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • Fast or abnormal heartbeat

Some people taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD may develop liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems while taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD. Liver problems have also occurred in people taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD who have no history of liver disease. Liver function tests may be done before and during treatment with Triumeq.

Contact your health care provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms that could be signs of liver problems:

  • Yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
  • Dark-colored urine
  • Light-colored bowel movements
  • Loss of appetite for several days or longer
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach/abdominal area
  • Itching

If you have both HIV and HBV infection and take Triumeq or Triumeq PD, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with Triumeq or Triumeq PD and become harder to treat (resistant). If you use Triumeq or Triumeq PD and have both HIV and HBV infection, you will need to take additional treatment for HBV infection. Also, your HBV infection may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD. Do not stop taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD without talking to your health care provider.

Taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD with certain other medicines may cause serious, life-threatening side effects. Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

While taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD, it is important to keep all of your appointments with your health care provider.

What is Triumeq and Triumeq PD?What is Triumeq and Triumeq PD?

What is Triumeq and Triumeq PD?

Triumeq and Triumeq PD are prescription medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children 3 months of age and older who weigh at least 13.2 lb (6 kg). In some people, Triumeq and Triumeq PD can be used alone as a complete treatment regimen. In people who have resistance to certain types of HIV medicines, Triumeq and Triumeq PD should not be used by itself.

Triumeq and Triumeq PD contain three different medicines: abacavirdolutegravir, and lamivudine.

For more information on the use of Triumeq or Triumeq PD in people with HIV, please refer to the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Adults and Adolescents with HIV and the Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in Pediatric HIV Infection.

HIV medicines cannot cure HIV/AIDS, but taking HIV medicines every day helps people with HIV live longer, healthier lives. HIV medicines also reduce the risk of HIV transmission. If you are taking HIV medicines, do not cut down on, skip, or stop taking them unless your health care provider tells you to. 

What should I tell my health care provider before taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD?What should I tell my health care provider before taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

What should I tell my health care provider before taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

Before taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD, tell your health care provider:

  • If you are allergic to any of the HIV medicines in Triumeq or Triumeq PD (abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine) or any other medicines.
  • If you have been tested and know whether you have a particular gene variation called HLA-B*5701.
  • If you have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV).
  • If you have kidney problems.
  • If you have heart problems; smoke; or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.
  • If you have any other medical conditions.
  • If you drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol.
  • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of taking Triumeq during pregnancy. For more information on the use of Triumeq during pregnancy, please refer to the Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States.
  • If you are breast/chestfeeding or plan to breast/chestfeed. For people with HIV in the United States, the Guideline recommends speaking with your health care provider to discuss options for feeding your baby. People with suppressed viral load have a less than 1% chance of transmitting HIV to their baby via their own milk.
  • If you are using hormone-based birth control (such as pills, implants, or vaginal rings). For more information about using birth control and HIV medicines at the same time, view the HIVinfo HIV and Birth Control infographic.
  • About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products (including St. John’s wort) you are taking or plan to take. Triumeq or Triumeq PD may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how Triumeq or Triumeq PD work. Taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD together with certain medicines or products may cause serious, life-threatening side effects.

How should I take Triumeq or Triumeq PD?How should I take Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

How should I take Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

Triumeq and Triumeq PD come in the following forms and strengths: 

  • Triumeq tablets: 600 mg abacavir, 50 mg dolutegravir, 300 mg lamivudine
  • Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension: 60 mg abacavir, 5 mg dolutegravir, 30 mg lamivudine

Take Triumeq or Triumeq PD according to your health care provider’s instructions. Do not miss a dose of Triumeq or Triumeq PD, and do not change your dose or stop taking Triumeq or Triumeq PD without first talking with your health care provider.

Take Triumeq or Triumeq PD by mouth and with or without food. Do not chew, cut, or crush Triumeq tablets or Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension. Do not swallow Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension whole.

If you are taking any other medicines, supplements, antacids, or laxatives that contain magnesium, aluminum, calcium, or iron, carefully follow instructions on how to take them with Triumeq or Triumeq PD.

Your child’s healthcare provider will decide whether your child should take Triumeq or Triumeq PD based on your child’s weight. Tell your health care provider if your child's weight changes.

Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension should be dispersed in drinking water only. Do not use any other drink or food to prepare the dose. Read the “Instructions for Use” at the end of the Triumeq and Triumeq PD drug label for detailed instructions on how to prepare Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension.

Triumeq tablets are not the same as Triumeq PD tablets for oral suspension and cannot be substituted for each other. Check to make sure you receive the correct dosage form each time you or your child’s prescription is filled.

If you have taken too much Triumeq or Triumeq PD, contact your health care provider or local poison control center (1-800-222-1222 or online) right away, or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.

For more information on how to take Triumeq or Triumeq PD, see the FDA drug label.

What should I do if I forget a dose?What should I do if I forget a dose?

What should I do if I forget a dose?

If you miss a dose of Triumeq or Triumeq PD, take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. But if it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

What side effects can Triumeq or Triumeq PD cause?What side effects can Triumeq or Triumeq PD cause?

What side effects can Triumeq or Triumeq PD cause?

Triumeq or Triumeq PD may cause side effects. Some side effects of Triumeq or Triumeq PD can be serious as noted above. Many side effects from HIV medicines, such as nausea or occasional dizziness, are manageable. See the HIVinfo fact sheet on HIV Medicines and Side Effects for more information.

Other possible side effects of Triumeq or Triumeq PD include:

Tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. 

These are not all the possible side effects of Triumeq and Triumeq PD. To learn more about possible side effects of Triumeq and Triumeq PD, read the drug label or package insert or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist.

You can report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or online.

How should Triumeq or Triumeq PD be stored?How should Triumeq or Triumeq PD be stored?

How should Triumeq or Triumeq PD be stored?

  • Store Triumeq and Triumeq PD at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C).
  • Keep Triumeq and Triumeq PD in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed and protected from moisture. If the container has a small packet of drying agent (called a desiccant), do not remove it. The desiccant protects the medicine from moisture.
  • Do not use Triumeq or Triumeq PD if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
  • Throw away Triumeq or Triumeq PD that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.  
  • Keep Triumeq, Triumeq PD, and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about Triumeq or Triumeq PD?Where can I find more information about Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

Where can I find more information about Triumeq or Triumeq PD?

Manufacturer Information

ViiV Healthcare

Main number: 877-844-8872
Patient assistance (ViiV Connect): 844-588-3288

 

Last Reviewed: June 17, 2024