Drug Database: Sinecatechins

What is sinecatechins?

Sinecatechins topical ointment is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of external genital and perianal warts (warts on the outside of the genitals and anus) caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The drug is approved for use in immunocompetent people 18 years of age and older.

HPV infection can be an opportunistic infection (OI) of HIV. An OI is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as people with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems. To learn more about OIs, read the HIVinfo What is an Opportunistic Infection? fact sheet.

How is sinecatechins used in people with HIV?

The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV include recommendations on the use of sinecatechins to treat external genital warts caused by HPV infection.

The recommended uses may not always be consistent with FDA-approved uses of sinecatechins. See the Guidelines for complete information on recommended uses of sinecatechins in adults and adolescents with HIV. Sinecatechins may have other recommended uses not listed above.

What should I tell my health care provider before using sinecatechins?

Before using sinecatechins, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to sinecatechins or any other medicines.
• About any medical conditions you have or have had.
• If you are using any other type of skin product or have open wounds on the area to be treated. Sinecatechins should not be used until your skin has healed from other treatments applied to the same area.
• If you have a weakened immune system.
• About anything that could affect your ability to use sinecatechins, such as difficulty with applying an ointment to the affected area or trouble with remembering a scheduled dose.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Sinecatechins should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of using sinecatechins during pregnancy. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV may include other recommendations for the use of sinecatechins during pregnancy. Please refer to the guidelines for additional information.
• 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.
• About other prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Sinecatechins may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how sinecatechins works. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between sinecatechins and the other medicines you take.

Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from sinecatechins. Your health care provider will tell you what to do if you have side effects.

How should I use sinecatechins?

Use sinecatechins according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much sinecatechins to use and when to use it. Before you start using sinecatechins and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.

How should sinecatechins be stored?

• Store sinecatechins ointment in the refrigerator or up to 77°F (25°C). Do not freeze.
• Keep sinecatechins ointment in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed.
• Do not use sinecatechins if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away sinecatechins that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep sinecatechins and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about sinecatechins?

• Recommendations on the HIV-related use of sinecatechins, from the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Ointment. The Patient Package Insert includes information for people using sinecatechins.
• Sinecatechins-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests. To learn more about the ClinicalTrials.gov search features, please see How to Search.)