Patient Leaflet Updated 17-Aug-2026 | Unicorn Pharmaceuticals Limited
Etravirine 200 mg Tablets
Etravirine 200 mg Tablets
1. What Etravirine Tablets are and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you take Etravirine Tablets
3. How to take Etravirine Tablets
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Etravirine Tablets
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Etravirine contains the active substance etravirine. Etravirine belongs to a group of anti-HIV medicines called non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs).
Etravirine is a medicine used for the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. Etravirine works by reducing the amount of HIV in your body. This will improve your immune system and reduce the risk of developing illnesses linked to HIV infection.
Etravirine is used in combination with other anti-HIV medicines to treat adults and children 2 years of age and older who are infected by HIV and who have used other anti-HIV medicines before.
Your doctor will discuss with you which combination of medicines is best for you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Etravirine.
Etravirine is not a cure for HIV infection. It is part of a treatment reducing the amount of virus in the blood.
Elderly
Etravirine has only been used in a limited number of patients of 65 years or older. If you belong to this age group, please discuss the use of Etravirine with your doctor.
Weight and increased blood lipids and glucose
During HIV therapy there may be an increase in weight and in levels of blood lipids and glucose. This is partly linked to restored health and lifestyle, and in the case of blood lipids sometimes to the HIV medicines themselves. Your doctor will test for these changes.
Bone problems
Some patients taking combination antiretroviral therapy may develop a bone disease called osteonecrosis (death of bone tissue caused by loss of blood supply to the bone). The length of combination antiretroviral therapy, corticosteroid use, alcohol consumption, severe immunosuppression, higher body mass index, among others, may be some of the many risk factors for developing this disease. Signs of osteonecrosis are joint stiffness, aches and pains (especially of the hip, knee and shoulder) and difficulty in movement. If you notice any of these symptoms, please inform your doctor.
Tell your doctor about your situation
Make sure that you check the following points and tell your doctor if any of these apply to you.
Do not give this medicine to children less than 2 years of age and weighing less than 10 kg because the potential benefits and risks have not been established.
Etravirine might interact with other medicines. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might take any other medicines.
In most cases, Etravirine can be combined with anti-HIV medicines belonging to another class. However, some combinations are not recommended. In other cases, increased monitoring and/or a change in the dose of the medicine may be needed. Therefore, always tell your doctor which other anti-HIV medicines you take. Furthermore, it is important that you carefully read the package leaflets that are provided with these medicines. Follow your doctor’s instruction carefully on which medicines can be combined.
It is not recommended to combine Etravirine with any of the following medicines:
If you are taking any of these, ask your doctor for advice.
The effects of Etravirine or other medicines might be influenced if you take Etravirine together with any of the following medicines. The dosages of some medicines might need to be changed since their therapeutic effect or side effects may be influenced when combined with Etravirine. Tell your doctor if you take:
Tell your doctor immediately if you are pregnant. Pregnant women should not take Etravirine unless specifically directed by the doctor.
Because of the potential for side effects in breast-fed infants, it is recommended that women not breast-feed if they are receiving Etravirine.
Breast-feeding is not recommended in women living with HIV because HIV infection can be passed on to the baby in breast milk. If you are breast-feeding, or thinking about breastfeeding, you should discuss it with your doctor as soon as possible.
Do not drive or operate machines if you feel sleepy or dizzy after taking your medicines.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per tablet, that is to say essentially ‘sodium free’.
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or pharmacist has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose of Etravirine tablet is one tablet twice a day.
In the morning, take one 200 milligram Etravirine tablet, following a meal.
In the evening, take one 200 milligram Etravirine tablet, following a meal.
The doctor will work out the right dose based on the weight of the child.
The doctor will inform you exactly how much Etravirine the child should take.
It is important that you take Etravirine tablets following a meal. If you take Etravirine tablets on an empty stomach, only half the amount of Etravirine is absorbed. Follow your doctor’s advice on the type of meal you should be taking with Etravirine tablets.
Swallow the Etravirine tablet(s) whole with a glass of water. Do not chew the tablet(s).
If you are unable to swallow the Etravirine tablet(s) whole, you may do the following:
If you mix Etravirine tablet(s) with a liquid, take this first, before other liquid anti-HIV medicines that you need to take at the same time.
Contact your doctor if you are not able to swallow the entire dose when mixed with a liquid.
If your child needs to take Etravirine tablet(s) mixed with a liquid, it is very important that he/she takes the entire dose so that the right amount of medicine enters into the body. If the full dose is not taken, the risk of the virus developing resistance is higher. Contact your doctor if your child is not able to swallow the entire dose when mixed with a liquid, as they may consider giving another medicine to treat your child.
Do not use warm (40°C and above) or carbonated beverages when taking Etravirine tablet(s).
The plastic bottle comes with a child resistant cap and should be opened as follows:
Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately. The most frequent side effects of Etravirine are rash, diarrhoea, nausea, and headache (see section ‘4. Possible side effects’).
If you notice within 6 hours of the time you usually take Etravirine tablets, you must take the tablet(s) as soon as possible. Always take the tablet(s) following a meal. Then take the next dose as usual. If you notice after 6 hours, then skip the intake and take the next dose as usual. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you vomit less than 4 hours after taking Etravirine, take another dose following a meal. If you vomit more than 4 hours after taking Etravirine, then you do not need to take another dose until your regularly scheduled dose.
Contact your doctor if you are uncertain about what to do if you miss a dose or vomit.
HIV therapy may increase your sense of well-being. Even if you feel better, do not stop taking Etravirine or your other anti-HIV medicines. Doing so could increase the risk of the virus developing resistance. Talk to your doctor first.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The frequency rate of the side effects associated with Etravirine is given below.
Very common side effects (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Common side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
Uncommon side effects (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
Rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
Very rare side effects (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme,Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard, or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and on the bottle after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Etravirine tablets should be stored in the original bottle and keep the bottle tightly closed in order to protect from moisture. The bottle contains 3 little pouches (desiccants) to keep the tablets dry. These pouches should stay in the bottle all the time and are not to be eaten.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
The active substance is etravirine.
Inactive ingredients are sodium lauryl sulfate, povidone K-30, microcrystalline cellulose, crospovidone, sodium starch glycolate, silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate.
White to off-white uncoated, oval shaped (Approx. dimensions of 22 mm × 11 mm) tablet debossed with “CP113” on one side and plain on other side
60 Tablets packed in 200 cc HDPE bottle with 38/400 CR Cap with a heat induction foil liner and 3 desiccant pouches.
This leaflet was last revised in March 2026.
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02087325447
02087325447
www.unicornpharma.co.uk