| Human immunodeficiency virus I infection
Descovy for PrEP vs Apretude
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for human immunodeficiency virus i infection.Deep comparison between: Descovy vs Apretude with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsApretude has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Descovy based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Apretude but not Descovy, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Descovy
Apretude
At A Glance
Oral
Daily
NRTI combination
IM injection
Every 2 months
HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitor
Indications
- Human immunodeficiency virus I infection
- Human immunodeficiency virus I infection
Dosing
Human immunodeficiency virus I infection Adults and pediatric patients >=35 kg: one 200 mg/25 mg tablet once daily with or without food; pediatric patients 25 to <35 kg: one 200 mg/25 mg tablet once daily; 14 to <25 kg: one 120 mg/15 mg tablet once daily (with other antiretrovirals including DRV+COBI but not other PI/ritonavir or PI/cobicistat combinations); not recommended with eGFR 15-30 mL/min or <15 mL/min without chronic hemodialysis.
HIV-1 PrEP One 200 mg/25 mg tablet once daily orally with or without food in adults and adolescents >=35 kg with eGFR >=30 mL/min, or adults with eGFR <15 mL/min on chronic hemodialysis (dose after hemodialysis); not recommended with eGFR 15-30 mL/min or <15 mL/min without hemodialysis.
Human immunodeficiency virus I infection 600-mg (3-mL) gluteal IM initiation injections 1 month apart for 2 consecutive months, then 600-mg (3-mL) every 2 months; optional oral lead-in with cabotegravir 30 mg once daily for at least 28 days prior to first injection.
Contraindications
- Unknown or positive HIV-1 status when used for HIV-1 PrEP
- Unknown or positive HIV-1 status
- Previous hypersensitivity reaction to cabotegravir
- Coadministration with anticonvulsants (carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin) due to significant UGT1A1 induction decreasing cabotegravir plasma concentrations
- Coadministration with antimycobacterials rifampin or rifapentine due to significant UGT1A1 induction decreasing cabotegravir plasma concentrations
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=10%) Nausea (in antiretroviral treatment-naive adults with HIV-1 receiving FTC+TAF with EVG+COBI)
Serious Severe acute exacerbations of hepatitis B, immune reconstitution syndrome, new onset or worsening renal impairment, lactic acidosis/severe hepatomegaly with steatosis
Postmarketing Angioedema, urticaria, rash, acute renal failure, acute tubular necrosis, proximal renal tubulopathy, Fanconi syndrome
Most common (>=1%) Injection site reactions, diarrhea, headache, pyrexia, fatigue, sleep disorders, nausea, dizziness, flatulence, abdominal pain, vomiting, myalgia, rash, decreased appetite, somnolence, back pain, upper respiratory tract infection
Serious Hypersensitivity reactions, hepatotoxicity, depressive disorders including depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt
Postmarketing Hypersensitivity reactions (angioedema, urticaria), Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis
Pharmacology
Dual HIV NRTI combination; emtricitabine (FTC) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) each inhibit HIV-1 reverse transcriptase via nucleotide analog chain termination after intracellular phosphorylation, with TAF serving as a prodrug converted intracellularly to tenofovir and then to the active metabolite tenofovir diphosphate.
Cabotegravir is an HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) that inhibits HIV replication by binding to the integrase active site and blocking the strand transfer step of retroviral DNA integration, which is essential for the HIV replication cycle.
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Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Descovy
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (1/12) · Step Therapy (1/12) · Qty limit (11/12)
Apretude
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (0/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (0/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Descovy
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (6/8)
Apretude
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (0/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Humana
Descovy
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (0/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (3/3)
Apretude
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (0/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (0/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
$0
Gilead Advancing Access Patient Assistance Program/Medication Assistance Program (PAP/MAP)Commercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
$0/fillfill
Apretude Savings ProgramCommercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.