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Complera is a once-a-day HIV drug created by Gilead Sciences to treat HIV-positive people who have never received treatment. However, one of Complera’s active ingredients, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), has been linked to severe kidney and bone damage in some users. Victims of these side effects are currently filing lawsuits against Gilead.
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Created by Gilead Sciences, Complera is a medicine generally used to treat people newly infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Gilead Sciences created the once-a-day tablet by combining three antiretroviral medicines — emtricitabine, rilpivirine, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF).
Complera gained FDA approval on August 10, 2011. However, the expensive drug has many health risks, including kidney and bone damage that has been linked to one of its main ingredients, TDF.
Complera users are now filing lawsuits against Gilead Sciences for using TDF in the drug rather than a safer alternative and for failing to properly warn patients about TDF’s serious side effects.
Complera is prescribed to people who have never taken HIV medication before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of HIV in their blood. It may also be prescribed as an HIV drug replacement for certain people with a viral amount of fewer than 50 copies/mL.
Anyone considering new medication or stopping an existing drug routine should consult with their doctor for specific medical advice.
Complera is extremely expensive. In late 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services listed the cost of Complera can range from $2,680-$3,200 a month before insurance or government aid.
Each patient’s cost will also vary based on pharmacy used and number of pills purchased. Currently, Complera has no generic equivalent, keeping prices high.
While Complera and Truvada are both HIV treatment drugs created by Gilead, they are not interchangeable.
Learn more about the main differences between Complera and Truvada:
The three drugs in Complera may cause several side effects, and while many are mild, some may lead to hospitalization or even death.
The most common side effects of Complera are:
The TDF in Complera may also lead to kidney and bone problems. Many victims suffering from TDF-related injuries argue that Gilead downplayed the seriousness of potential side effects to avoid hurting sales.
People taking Complera should be especially aware of a few other potential side effects.
Complera was approved by the FDA to treat HIV-1 on August 10th, 2011. It was the second once-daily HIV pill to be approved, after Atripla in 2006.
Along with its approval, the FDA reported several warnings about Complera’s side effects. This included concerns about TDF’s effects on bone mineral density and on the kidneys.
The report encouraged health professionals to screen patients for any preexisting bone or kidney problems before prescribing Complera, to monitor patients’ health, and to prescribe supplements for bone health.
Complera’s once-a-day formulation has helped many HIV-positive people manage their disease more easily. However, the HIV drug poses some serious side effects, including kidney and bone damage.
Recently, victims who have suffered from such side effects are fighting back against Gilead and other HIV drug companies, claiming that Gilead withheld a safer version of TDF in order to maximize profits on the older drug. Furthermore, it allegedly downplayed the seriousness of TDF’s side effects.
If you have suffered from serious bone or kidney problems as a result of taking Complera or another TDF drug, there is hope. Filing a Complera lawsuit can help you pay for the expensive medical treatment these drugs can cause — and help hold HIV drug companies responsible to the people they are supposed to help.
Written by: LawFirm.com
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