Darunavir may be marketed under the name Prezista, but generic versions are also available. It is taken in combination with other antiretroviral drugs.

You should not take darunavir with any of the following medicines: alfuzosin, amiodarone, astemizole, avanafil, bepridil, cisapride, colchicine (if you also have kidney or liver problems), dihydroergotamine, dronedarone, elbasvir/grazoprevir, ergometrine, ergotamine, lopinavir/ritonavir, lovastatin, lurasidone, methylergonovine, midazolam (oral), pimozide, quetiapine, quinidine, ranolazine, rifampicin, sertindole, sildenafil (when used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension), simvastatin, St John’s wort, systemic lidocaine, terfenadine, ticagrelor, triazolam.

If you are taking darunavir, it is particularly important to check with your HIV doctor or pharmacist before taking other medicines, as these may interact with darunavir or with the boosting drugs ritonavir or cobicistat. Some common drugs may be affected, including antibiotics, corticosteroids, hormonal contraceptives, metformin, methadone and statins.

The drug works well in many people with resistance to other protease inhibitors.

Abnormal liver function, changes in heart rhythm.

Diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, indigestion, rash, itching, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, headache, fever, peripheral neuropathy (damage to nerves in the hands or feet), lipodystrophy, difficulty in sleeping, weakness, tiredness, diabetes, raised creatine or amylase or triglyceride or cholesterol or liver enzyme levels.

Darunavir must be taken with food to improve absorption.

The usual adult dose is one 800mg darunavir tablet taken together with one 100mg ritonavir tablet, once a day. For more resistant HIV, your doctor may prescribe one 600mg darunavir tablet with one 100mg ritonavir tablet, taken together twice a day. Darunavir is available as a generic drug so its appearance may vary. Darunavir is also available in the combination tablet Symtuza.