Drug Database: Maraviroc

What is maraviroc?What is maraviroc?

What is maraviroc?

Maraviroc (brand name: Selzentry) is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of HIV in adults and children weighing at least 4.4 lb (2 kg). Maraviroc is always used in combination with other HIV medicines.

Maraviroc should not be used in premature newborns or children weighing less than 4.4 lb (2 kg).

Maraviroc should only be used in people whose strain of HIV uses the CCR5 coreceptor. Maraviroc is not recommended for people whose HIV uses the CXCR4 coreceptor or both the CCR5 and CXCR4 coreceptors. Your health care provider will do a blood test to see whether your HIV uses only the CCR5 coreceptor.

For more information on the use of maraviroc 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 maraviroc?What should I tell my health care provider before taking maraviroc?

What should I tell my health care provider before taking maraviroc?

Before taking maraviroc, tell your health care provider:

• If you are allergic to maraviroc or any other medicines.
• If you have ever had liver problems, including hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) or hepatitis C virus infection (HCV).
• If you have heart problems.
• If you have kidney problems, including if you are receiving dialysis.
• If you have low blood pressure or take medicines to lower your blood pressure.
• If you have any other medical conditions.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and benefits of taking maraviroc during pregnancy. For more information on the use of maraviroc 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. Although most medicines are safe to use while breast/chestfeeding, some medicines should be avoided. Always let your health care provider know about all the medicines and supplements you are using before you start breast/chestfeeding.
• 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 (particularly St. John's wort) you are taking or plan to take. Maraviroc may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how maraviroc works. Taking maraviroc together with certain medicines or products may cause serious side effects.

How should I take maraviroc?How should I take maraviroc?

How should I take maraviroc?

Maraviroc comes in the following forms and strengths:

• 150-mg and 300-mg tablets
• 20-mg/mL oral solution

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

Take maraviroc by mouth with or without food. Swallow maraviroc tablets whole. Do not chew the tablets.

Maraviroc oral solution is packaged in a convenience combination kit that contains 1 bottle of maraviroc oral solution and supplies needed to take each dose. Maraviroc oral solution should be given using the supplied press-in-bottle adapter and correct oral dosing syringe. See the “Instructions for Use” that come with maraviroc oral solution for information about the right way to prepare and take a dose.

Always take maraviroc in combination with other HIV medicines.

If you have taken too much maraviroc, 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 maraviroc, 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 maraviroc, 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 just take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at the same time to make up for a missed dose.

What side effects can maraviroc cause?What side effects can maraviroc cause?

What side effects can maraviroc cause?

Maraviroc may cause side effects. Some side effects of maraviroc 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 maraviroc include:

• Heart problems, including heart attack (myocardial infarction).
• Low blood pressure when standing up (postural hypotension). This can cause dizziness or fainting.
• Changes in your immune system (called immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome or IRIS). IRIS is a condition that sometimes occurs when the immune system begins to recover after treatment with an HIV medicine. As the immune system gets stronger, it may have an increased response to a previously hidden infection.
• Possible increased risk of other infections or cancer.

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 maraviroc. To learn more about possible side effects of maraviroc, read the drug label or package insert or talk to your health care provider or pharmacist.

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

How should maraviroc be stored?How should maraviroc be stored?

How should maraviroc be stored?

• Store maraviroc tablets and oral solution at room temperature, 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). Throw away any unused oral solution 60 days after first opening the bottle.
• Keep maraviroc in the container that it came in and keep the container tightly closed.
• Do not use maraviroc if the original seal over the container opening is broken or missing.
• Throw away maraviroc that is no longer needed or expired (out of date). Follow FDA guidelines on how to safely dispose of unused medicine.
• Keep maraviroc and all medicines out of reach of children.

Where can I find more information about maraviroc?Where can I find more information about maraviroc?

Where can I find more information about maraviroc?

• For more information on the use of maraviroc 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.
• This Patient Version drug summary is based on the following FDA label(s): Tablet (film coated), solution, kit. The Medication Guide includes information for people taking maraviroc.
• The American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Patient Medication Information for maraviroc available from MedlinePlus.
• Maraviroc-related research studies, from ClinicalTrials.gov. (The ClinicalTrials.gov search can be modified so that you can get results that better match your interests.)
• A list of FDA-approved HIV medicines, from HIVinfo.