Frequently asked questions about PIFELTRO
How do I take PIFELTRO?
- Take PIFELTRO every day exactly as your doctor tells you to take it.
- Take PIFELTRO 1 time each day, at about the same time every day.
- If you take the medicine rifabutin during treatment with PIFELTRO, take PIFELTRO 2 times each day, about 12 hours apart, as prescribed by your doctor. You may not have enough doravirine in your blood if you take rifabutin during treatment with PIFELTRO.
- Take PIFELTRO with or without food.
- Do not change your dose or stop taking PIFELTRO without talking to your doctor. Stay under a doctor’s care when taking PIFELTRO.
- It is important that you do not miss or skip doses of PIFELTRO.
- If you miss a dose of PIFELTRO, take it as soon as you remember. If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the next dose at your regular time. Do not take 2 doses of PIFELTRO at the same time.
- If you have any questions, call your doctor or pharmacist.
- When your PIFELTRO supply starts to run low, get more from your doctor or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to PIFELTRO and become harder to treat.
Who should not take PIFELTRO?
Do not take PIFELTRO if you take any of the following medicines:
- carbamazepine
- oxcarbazepine
- phenobarbital
- phenytoin
- enzalutamide
- rifampin
- rifapentine
- mitotane
- St. John’s wort
Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure if your medicine is one that is listed above. If you have taken any of the medicines in the past 4 weeks, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting treatment with PIFELTRO.
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
- Some medicines interact with PIFELTRO. Keep a list of your medicines to show your doctor and pharmacist.
- Tell your doctor if you have taken rifabutin in the past 4 weeks.
- You can ask your doctor or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with PIFELTRO.
- Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your doctor. Your doctor can tell you if it is safe to take PIFELTRO with other medicines.
It is not known if PIFELTRO is safe and effective in children who weigh less than 77 pounds (35 kg)
What should I tell my doctor before taking PIFELTRO?
Before starting PIFELTRO, tell your doctor about:
- Any health conditions you have.
- Any other medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
- Tell your doctor if you have taken rifabutin in the past 4 weeks.
You should also tell your doctor if you:
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if PIFELTRO can harm your unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you become pregnant while taking PIFELTRO.
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if PIFELTRO can pass into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed if you take PIFELTRO.
- You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
Pregnancy Registry: There is a pregnancy registry for people who take PIFELTRO during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your doctor about how you can sign up.
What medicines can be taken with PIFELTRO?
PIFELTRO can be taken with a wide range of common, non–HIV-1 medicines, such as:
- Heartburn
Proton pump inhibitors (pantoprazole)
- Birth Control
Oral contraceptives (ethinyl estradiol and levonorgestrel)
- Pain
Methadone
- Cholesterol
Statins (atorvastatin)
- Diabetes
Metformin (metformin hydrochloride)
Whether you take over-the-counter or prescription medicines for other conditions, it is important to talk to your doctor about all of your medicines before starting treatment with PIFELTRO.
What are the possible side effects of PIFELTRO?
PIFELTRO can cause serious side effects, including:
Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your doctor right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.
The most common side effects of PIFELTRO include:
- nausea
- dizziness
- headache
- tiredness
- diarrhea
- stomach (abdominal) pain
- abnormal dreams
These are not all the possible side effects of PIFELTRO.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
How should I store PIFELTRO?
Store PIFELTRO tablets at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F.
Keep it in the original bottle.
Do not take the tablets out of the bottle to store in another container, such as a pill box.
Keep the bottle tightly closed to protect PIFELTRO from moisture.
The PIFELTRO bottle contains a desiccant to help keep your medicine dry (protect it from moisture). Keep the desiccant in the bottle. Do not eat the desiccant.
Keep PIFELTRO and all medicines out of the reach of children.
What are the ingredients in PIFELTRO?
Active ingredient: doravirine.
Inactive ingredients:
- Colloidal silicon dioxide
- Croscarmellose sodium
- Hypromellose acetate succinate
- Lactose monohydrate
- Magnesium stearate
- Microcrystalline cellulose
The tablet film coating contains:
- Hypromellose
- Lactose monohydrate
- Titanium dioxide
- Triacetin
The coated tablets are polished with carnauba wax.
How may PIFELTRO affect my cholesterol level?
HIV and or/HIV treatments may have a negative impact on your bad cholesterol (LDL-C). In a 96-week study of adults who had never been on an HIV-1 treatment before, 320 adults received PIFELTRO as part of a treatment regimen and 311 adults received another treatment regimen*.
PIFELTRO, as part of a treatment regimen, did not raise bad cholesterol, while the other treatment regimen did.
The clinical benefit of these changes has not been demonstrated.
Effect on bad cholesterol (LDL-C) at week 48:

*The other treatment regimen included darunavir plus a ritonavir boost (PI + ritonavir boost), once daily.
How may PIFELTRO affect my weight?
Maintaining a healthy weight is an important part of taking care of your health and managing your HIV. You may have concerns about weight change. If you do, talk to your doctor.
What else do I need to know about PIFELTRO?
Sometimes doctors prescribe medicines to treat health problems other than the main condition they are for. Always use PIFELTRO exactly as your doctor tells you to – do not use PIFELTRO for a condition for which it was not prescribed.
Do not give PIFELTRO to other people, even if they have the same symptoms as you. It may harm them.