Telaprevir is a prescription medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Telaprevir is always used in combination with the medicines peginterferon and ribavirin. HCV is an opportunistic infection. An opportunistic infection is an infection that occurs more frequently or is more severe in people with weakened immune systems—such as those infected with HIV—than in people with healthy immune systems.
The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in HIV-Infected Adults and Adolescents, prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA-HIVMA), includes recommendations on the HIV-related use of telaprevir to treat chronic HCV infection (genotype 1).
Before taking telaprevir, tell your health care provider:
Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from telaprevir. Your health care provider will tell you what to do if you have side effects.
Take telaprevir according to your health care provider’s instructions. Your health care provider will tell you how much telaprevir to take and when to take it. Before you start telaprevir and each time you get a refill, read any printed information that comes with your medicine.
More information about telaprevir is available: