Hepatitis Treatment Treating Hepatitis B With Tenofovir By Charles Daniel Charles Daniel, MPH, CHES is an infectious disease epidemiologist, specializing in hepatitis. Learn about our editorial process Charles Daniel Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Violetta Shamilova, PharmD on November 20, 2020 Violetta Shamilova, PharmD, is a board-certified pharmacist and assistant professor at Touro College in New York. Learn about our Medical Review Board Violetta Shamilova, PharmD on November 20, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All How It Works Effectiveness How to Take It Costs Side Effects Who Should Not Take Tenofovir Tenofovir, also called tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, is an antiviral drug for treating chronic hepatitis B (HBV) in adults and children who are 12 years and older. It is also used, in combination with other drugs, to treat the human immunodeficiency virus or HIV. It's sold under the brand name Viread by Gilead Sciences, Inc. YakubovAlim / Getty Images How It Works HBV is a noncytopathic virus, which means the virus itself does not directly damage the liver. Rather, when the body is infected with HBV, the immune system mounts an assault on the virus and causes collateral damage in the form of inflammation and damage to the liver. Tenofovir is part of a class of medications known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). These work by decreasing the amount of the hepatitis B virus in the blood, which in turn keeps the immune response at bay. It will not cure hepatitis B, may not prevent complications of the disease such as cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer, and will not prevent the spread of the virus to others. Other Names for Tenofovir: There are no generic drugs available. Effectiveness Tenofovir can treat hepatitis B very effectively in some people. In some situations, tenofovir is more effective than adefovir and lamivudine. Research suggests tenofovir is a safe and effective long-term treatment for HBV, especially for people who have developed resistance to lamivudine. In addition, this research suggests it leads to few kidney-related side effects and no clinically relevant bone loss. How to Take It Viread is a 300 mg tablet. For chronic hepatitis B, the usual dosing for adults is 300 mg once a day and can be taken with or without food. This dosage might change for people with kidney problems. Costs One year of treatment with tenofovir can easily cost more than $8,000. However, drug costs vary considerably based on many factors, such as whether you have health insurance, where you live, and which pharmacy you use. Side Effects Possible side effects of tenofovir include: DiarrheaHeadacheDepressionRashItchingFeverDifficulty falling asleep or staying asleepGasWeight loss In addition, serious liver complications, as well as a condition known as lactic acidosis, can develop rarely in patients taking tenofovir. If you experience the following symptoms while taking tenofovir, you should call your physician or seek emergency medical care: Persistent nausea and/or vomitingStomach/abdominal painPale stoolsDark urineJaundice (yellowing of the eyes and/or skin)Extreme fatigueRapid or difficulty breathingDrowsinessMuscle pain and/or weaknessCold skin Who Should Not Take Tenofovir Anyone who is allergic to tenofovir shouldn't take this drug. Also, it's important to know your HIV status because taking tenofovir can significantly complicate treating HIV. If you have HIV and HBV, do not start therapy for either infection without consulting a physician experienced in treating both infections. Tenofovir is classified as a category B drug for use in pregnancy, which means there is no evidence to suggest it is harmful to a pregnant mother or her fetus. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Peterson L, Taylor D, Roddy R, et al. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate for prevention of HIV infection in women: a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. PLoS Clin Trials. 2007;2(5):e27. doi: 10.1371/journal.pctr.0020027 Lovett GC, Nguyen T, Iser DM, et al. Efficacy and safety of tenofovir in chronic hepatitis B: Australian real world experience. World J Hepatol. 2017;9(1):48-56. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v9.i1.48 National Health Institute. Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate. Masho SW, Wang CL, Nixon DE. Review of tenofovir-emtricitabine. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2007;3(6):1097-104. Hashim H, Sahari NS, Sazlly lim SM, Hoo FK. Fatal Tenofovir-Associateacd Lactic Acidosis: A Case Report. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2015;17(10):e19546. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.19546