Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI)
Abacavir
Brand names: Ziagen
Adult dose
Dose: 600 mg once daily or 300 mg twice daily
Route: Oral
Frequency: OD or BD
Clinical pearls
- MANDATORY HLA-B*5701 screen before initiation
- Counsel on hypersensitivity warning card
- Possible association with MI risk in some cohorts
Contraindications
- HLA-B*5701 positive (severe hypersensitivity)
- Moderate-severe hepatic impairment
Side effects
- Hypersensitivity reaction (potentially fatal)
- Nausea
- Headache
- Lactic acidosis
Interactions
- Methadone (may reduce levels)
- Ethanol (raises abacavir AUC)
- Ribavirin
Monitoring
- LFTs
- Hypersensitivity symptoms in first 6 weeks
- Lactate if symptomatic
Reference: BNF; BHIVA Adult ART Guidelines 2022; SmPC; https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/abacavir/. Verify against your local formulary and the latest BNF before prescribing.
Related
Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.
Calculators
- SMART Risk Score for Recurrent CVD · Cardiovascular Risk
- PCSK9 Inhibitor Eligibility Assessment · Lipid Management
- Immune-Related Adverse Events (irAE) -- GI Toxicity Colitis Grading · Oncology-Related GI
- irAE Hepatitis Grading (CTCAE) · Immunotherapy
- DIPSS — Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System for Myelofibrosis · Cancer Prognosis
- BALL Score for Relapsed/Refractory CLL · Leukaemia
Pathways