Brand Name: Intelence
Generic Name: etravirine
Drug Class: HIV, NNRTIs
What is Intelence, and what is it used for?
Intelence, in combination with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in antiretroviral treatment-experienced patients ages 2 years and older, who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and other antiretroviral agents.
What are the side effects of Intelence?
Intelence can cause serious side effects including:
Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Skin rash is a common side effect of Intelence. Rash can be serious. Call your doctor right away if you get a rash. In some cases, severe rash and allergic reaction may need to be treated in a hospital and may potentially lead to death. If you get a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop taking Intelence and call your doctor or get medical help right away:
- hives or sores in your mouth, or your skin blisters and peels
- trouble swallowing or breathing
- swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue, or throat
- fever,
- yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes,
- dark urine, or
- pain on the right side of the stomach-area (abdominal pain).
Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV medicines. These changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these problems are not known.
Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Call your doctor right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV medicine. In adults, common side effects of Intelence include:
In children, diarrhea is a common side effect of Intelence.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all of the possible side effects with Intelence. For more information, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What is the dosage for Intelence?
Adult Patients
The recommended oral dose of Intelence tablets is 200 mg (one 200 mg tablet or two 100 mg tablets) taken twice daily following a meal. The type of food does not affect the exposure to etravirine.
Pediatric Patients (2 Years to Less Than 18 Years of Age)
The recommended dose of Intelence for pediatric patients 2 years to less than 18 years of age and weighing at least 10 kg is based on body weight not exceeding the recommended adult dose. Intelence tablet(s) should be taken orally, following a meal. The type of food does not affect the exposure to etravirine.
What drugs interact with Intelence?
Etravirine is a substrate of CYP3A, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19. Therefore, co-administration of Intelence with drugs that induce or inhibit CYP3A, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19 may alter the 9 therapeutic effect or adverse reaction profile of Intelence. Etravirine is an inducer of CYP3A and inhibitor of CYP2C9, CYP2C19 and P-glycoprotein. Therefore, co-administration of drugs that are substrates of CYP3A, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 or are transported by P-glycoprotein with Intelence may alter the therapeutic effect or adverse reaction profile of the co-administered drug(s).
The interaction between Intelence and the following drugs were evaluated in clinical studies and no dose adjustment is needed for either drug:
- didanosine,
- enfuvirtide (ENF),
- ethinylestradiol/norethindrone,
- omeprazole,
- paroxetine,
- raltegravir,
- ranitidine, and
- tenofovir disoproxil fumarate.

QUESTION
What is HIV? See AnswerPregnancy and breastfeeding
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Category B No adequate and well-controlled studies of Intelence use in pregnant women have been conducted. In addition, no pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted in pregnant patients. Intelence should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry To monitor maternal-fetal outcomes of pregnant women exposed to Intelence, an Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry has been established. Physicians are encouraged to register patients by calling 1-800-258-4263.
Animal Data Reproductive and developmental toxicity studies were performed in rabbits (at oral doses up to 375 mg per kg per day) and rats (at oral doses up to 1000 mg per kg per day). In both species, no treatment-related embryo-fetal effects including malformations were observed. In addition, no treatment-related effects were observed in a separate pre- and postnatal study performed in rats at oral doses up to 500 mg per kg per day. The systemic drug exposures achieved in these animal studies were equivalent to those at the recommended human dose (400 mg per day).
Breastfeeding
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that HIV-infected mothers not breastfeed their infants to avoid risking postnatal transmission of HIV. It is not known whether etravirine is secreted in human milk. Because of both the potential for HIV transmission and the potential for adverse reactions in nursing infants, mothers should be instructed not to breastfeed if they are receiving Intelence.
What else should I know about Intelence?
Intelence (etravirine) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Etravirine is a white to slightly yellowish-brown powder. Etravirine is practically insoluble in water over a wide pH range. It is very slightly soluble in propylene glycol and slightly soluble in ethanol. Etravirine is soluble in polyethylene glycol (PEG)400 and freely soluble in some organic solvents (e.g., N,N-dimethylformamide and tetrahydrofuran).
Intelence 25 mg tablets are available as white to off-white, oval scored tablets for oral administration. Each 25 mg tablet contains 25 mg of etravirine and the inactive ingredients hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate. Intelence 100 mg tablets are available as white to off-white, oval tablets for oral administration.
Each 100 mg tablet contains 100 mg of etravirine and the inactive ingredients hypromellose, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate and lactose monohydrate. Intelence 200 mg tablets are available as white to off-white, biconvex, oblong tablets for oral administration.
Each 200 mg tablet contains 200 mg of etravirine and the inactive ingredients hypromellose, silicified microcrystalline cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, colloidal silicon dioxide, croscarmellose sodium and magnesium stearate.
Mechanism of Action
Etravirine is an NNRTI of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Etravirine binds directly to reverse transcriptase (RT) and blocks the RNA-dependent and DNA-dependent DNA polymerase activities by causing a disruption of the enzyme's catalytic site. Etravirine does not inhibit the human DNA polymerases α, β, and γ.
Summary
Intelence, in combination with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in antiretroviral treatment-experienced patients ages 2 years and older, who have evidence of viral replication and HIV-1 strains resistant to a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) and other antiretroviral agents.
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection left untreated causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which can infect humans when it comes in contact with tissues that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes, or through a break in the skin. HIV infection is generally a slowly progressive disease in which the virus is present throughout the body at all stages of the disease. Three stages of HIV infection have been described. The initial stage of infection (primary infection), which occurs within weeks of acquiring the virus, often is characterized by the flu- or mono-like illness that generally resolves within weeks. The stage of chronic asymptomatic infection (meaning a long duration of infection without symptoms) lasts an average of eight to 10 years without treatment. The stage of symptomatic infection, in which the body's immune (or defense) system has been suppressed and complications have developed, is called the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The symptoms are caused by the complications of AIDS, which include one or more unusual infections or cancers, severe loss of weight, and intellectual deterioration (called dementia). When HIV grows (that is, by reproducing itself), it acquires the ability to change (mutate) its own structure. These mutations enable the virus to become resistant to previously effective drug therapy. The goals of drug therapy are to prevent damage to the immune system by the HIV virus and to halt or delay the progress of the infection to symptomatic disease. Therapy for HIV includes combinations of drugs that decrease the growth of the virus to such an extent that the treatment prevents or markedly delays the development of viral resistance to the drugs. The best combination of drugs for HIV are those that effectively suppress viral replication in the blood and also are well tolerated and simple to take so that people can take the medications consistently without missing doses.
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What Is a Detectable HIV Viral Load? Normal Viral Load
Detectable viral load is defined as having more than 200 copies of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) per milliliter of blood.
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What Foods Should HIV Patients Avoid?
People living with HIV face several health challenges because their bodies must work harder to fight infections. HIV patients should avoid foods high in sodium, sugar, and trans and saturated fats.
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Can I Get HIV From Surfaces?
Studies proved that HIV cannot be transmitted through surfaces such as toilet seats, chairs, doorknobs, drinking glasses and bedsheets. The virus cannot survive outside a human host; hence, transmission through air, water (swimming pools), insect bite or casual contacts such as handshake, hug or touch is not possible.
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Can the HIV Virus Go Away?
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AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
AIDS is the advanced stage of HIV infection. Symptoms and signs of AIDS include pneumonia due to Pneumocystis jiroveci, tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, seizures, weakness, meningitis, yeast infection of the esophagus, and Kaposi's sarcoma. Anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) is used in the treatment of AIDS.
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HIV vs. AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus causes HIV infection. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a condition that results after HIV has extensively damaged a person's immune system. Risk factors for HIV and AIDS include use of contaminated needles or syringes, unprotected sex, STDs, receiving a blood transfusion prior to 1985 in the United States, having many sex partners, and transmission from a mother to her child.
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Can HIV be Cured Naturally?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If someone has HIV it means that they have been diagnosed with the HIV infection. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome); however, is the most advanced or final stage of the HIV infection. It is important to get tested for HIV in the early stages of infection to minimize the damage to the immune system. Successful treatment aims to reduce HIV load to a level that is harmless to the body.
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Is It Possible for HIV to Go Away on Its Own?
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Can I Test HIV Positive If My Viral Load is Undetectable?
You can still test positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) even if your viral load is undetectable.
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Can I Get HIV From Casual Contact Like Hugging or Touching?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cannot spread through casual contact such as hugging or touching. HIV does not spread through urine, saliva, tears, sweat, kissing (closed mouth or social kissing), shaking hands, sharing utensils, sharing food or drinks, sharing clothes, or from toilet seats. HIV is spread through bodily fluids from a person with HIV.
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Does HIV Have a Permanent Cure?
As of now, there is no permanent HIV cure, but antiretroviral treatment can effectively control HIV.
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HIV Life Expectancy and Long-term Outlook
With early diagnosis and proper treatment, people with HIV can live a healthy and long life. There is no generalized definitive period for which a person with HIV can live.
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What Does HIV Do to a Person?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks and weakens the immune system, impairing the body's ability to fight diseases and infections.
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Does HIV Have Different Strains?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) constantly replicates itself, resulting in multiple strains, which are mainly divided into two types (HIV-1 and HIV-2).
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How Many HIV Treatments Are There?
Treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) often involves a combination of anti-HIV drugs. There are 7 HIV drug classes based on how they fight HIV.
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What Is the Difference Between HIV and AIDS?
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What Is the HIV Virus?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks and damages the immune system, which can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) over time. Learn about types, symptoms, and treatments. Check out the center below for more medical references on HIV/AIDS, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related diseases, treatment, diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.
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What Comes First HIV or AIDS?
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Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
FDA Prescribing & Label Information