Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
Quick facts
- Drug class
- Hepatitis B Virus Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor [EPC], Human Immunodeficiency Virus Nucleoside Analog Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor [EPC], Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors [MoA]
- How it is given
- oral
- Type
- human prescription drug
- RxNorm ID
- 199147
We do not publish dosing. How much of this medicine to take, how often, and for how long depends on your age, weight, kidney and liver function, other conditions and other medicines. That is a decision for the person who prescribes or dispenses it. Follow the directions on your own pack and ask your pharmacist if anything is unclear.
What it is used to treat
Lamivudine is nucleoside analogue indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Limitations of Use: • The dosage of this product is for HIV-1 and not for HBV. Lamivudine is a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Limitations of Use: The dosage of this product is for HIV-1 and not for HBV.( 1 )
About this medicine
Lamivudine USP is a synthetic nucleoside analogue with activity against HIV-1 and HBV. The chemical name of lamivudine USP is (2R,cis)-4-amino-1-(2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-oxathiolan-5-yl)-(1H)-pyrimidin-2-one. Lamivudine USP is the (-)enantiomer of a dideoxy analogue of cytidine. Lamivudine USP has also been referred to as (-)2′,3′-dideoxy, 3′-thiacytidine. It has a molecular formula of C 8 H 11 N 3 O 3 S and a molecular weight of 229.3 g per mol. It has the following structural formula: Lamivudine USP is a white to off-white crystalline solid with a solubility of approximately 70 mg per mL in water at 20°C. Lamivudine tablets, USP are for oral administration. Each scored 150-mg film-coated tablet contains 150 mg of lamivudine USP and the inactive ingredients hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide. Each 300-mg film-coated tablet contains 300 mg of lamivudine USP and the inactive ingredients black iron oxide, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, polysorbate 80, sodium starch glycolate, and titanium dioxide. str
How it works
12.1 Mechanism of Action Lamivudine is an antiretroviral agent [see Microbiology ( 12.4 )].
Who should not take it
Lamivudine is contraindicated in patients with a previous hypersensitivity reaction to lamivudine. Lamivudine is contraindicated in patients with previous hypersensitivity reaction to lamivudine. ( 4 )
Warnings and cautions
• Co-infected HIV-1/HBV Patients: Emergence of lamivudine-resistant HBV variants associated with lamivudine-containing antiretroviral regimens has been reported. ( 5.1 ) • Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis, including fatal cases, have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogues. ( 5.2 ) • Pancreatitis: Use with caution in pediatric patients with a history of pancreatitis or other significant risk factors for pancreatitis. Discontinue treatment as clinically appropriate. ( 5.3 ) • Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy. ( 5.4 ) • Lower virologic suppression rates and increased risk of viral resistance were observed in pediatric subjects who received EPIVIR oral solution concomitantly with other antiretroviral oral solutions compared with those who received tablets. An all-tablet regimen should be used when possible. ( 5.5 ) 5.1 Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Co-infection Posttreatment Exacerbations of Hepatitis Clinical and laboratory evidence of exacerbations of hepatitis have occurred after discontinuation of lamivudine. These exacerbations have been detected primarily by serum ALT elevations in addition to re-emergence of HBV DNA. Although most events appear to have been self-limited, fatalities have been reported in some cases. Similar events have been reported from postmarketing experience after changes from lamivudine-containing HIV-1 treatment regimens to non-lamivudine-containing regimens in patients infected with both HIV-1 and HBV. The causal relationship to discontinuation of lamivudine treatment is unknown. Patients should be closely monitored with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months after stopping treatment. Important Differences among Lamivudine-Containing Products Lamivudine tablet and oral solution contain a higher dose of the same active ingredient (lamivudine) than EPIVIR-HBV tablets and EPIVIR-HBV oral solution. EPIVIR-HBV was developed for patients with chronic hepatitis B. The formulation and dosage of lamivudine in EPIVIR-HBV are not appropriate for patients co-infected with HIV-1 and HBV. […]
Reported side effects
The following adverse reactions are discussed in other sections of the labeling: • Exacerbations of hepatitis B [see Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. • Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. • Pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )]. • Immune reconstitution syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )]. • The most common reported adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 15%) in adults were headache, nausea, malaise and fatigue, nasal signs and symptoms, diarrhea, and cough. ( 6.1 ) • The most common reported adverse reactions (incidence greater than or equal to 15%) in pediatric subjects were fever and cough. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Macleods Pharma USA, Inc. at 1-888-943-3210 or 1-855-926-3384 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Clinical Trials Experience in Adult Subjects Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. The safety profile of lamivudine in adults is primarily based on 3,568 HIV-1-infected subjects in 7 clinical trials. The most common adverse reactions are headache, nausea, malaise, fatigue, nasal signs and symptoms, diarrhea, and cough. Selected clinical adverse reactions in greater than or equal to 5% of subjects during therapy with lamivudine 150 mg twice daily plus RETROVIR 200 mg 3 times daily for up to 24 weeks are listed in Table 3. Table 3. […]
Interactions with other medicines
Sorbitol: Coadministration of lamivudine and sorbitol may decrease lamivudine concentrations; when possible, avoid chronic coadministration. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Drugs Inhibiting Organic Cation Transporters Lamivudine is predominantly eliminated in the urine by active organic cationic secretion. The possibility of interactions with other drugs administered concurrently should be considered, particularly when their main route of elimination is active renal secretion via the organic cationic transport system (e.g., trimethoprim) [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. No data are available regarding interactions with other drugs that have renal clearance mechanisms similar to that of lamivudine. 7.2 Sorbitol Coadministration of single doses of lamivudine and sorbitol resulted in a sorbitol dose-dependent reduction in lamivudine exposures. When possible, avoid use of sorbitol-containing medicines with lamivudine [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].
Use in specific groups
• Lactation: Women infected with HIV should be instructed not to breastfeed due to potential for HIV transmission. ( 8.2 ) 8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to lamivudine during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) at 1-800-258-4263. Risk Summary Available data from the APR show no difference in the overall risk of birth defects for lamivudine compared with the background rate for birth defects of 2.7% in the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) reference population (see Data). The APR uses the MACDP as the U.S. reference population for birth defects in the general population. The MACDP evaluates women and infants from a limited geographic area and does not include outcomes for births that occurred at less than 20 weeks’ gestation. The rate of miscarriage is not reported in the APR. The estimated background rate of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies in the U.S. general population is 15% to 20%. The background risk for major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In animal reproduction studies, oral administration of lamivudine to pregnant rabbits during organogenesis resulted in embryolethality at systemic exposure (AUC) similar to the recommended clinical dose; however, no adverse development effects were observed with oral administration of lamivudine to pregnant rats during organogenesis at plasma concentrations (C max ) 35 times the recommended clinical dose (see Data). Data Human Data: Based on prospective reports to the APR of over 11,000 exposures to lamivudine during pregnancy resulting in live births (including over 4,500 exposed in the first trimester), there was no difference between the overall risk of birth defects for lamivudine compared with the background birth defect rate of 2.7% in the U.S. reference population of the MACDP. […]
If too much is taken
There is no known specific treatment for overdose with lamivudine. If overdose occurs, the patient should be monitored and standard supportive treatment applied as required. Because a negligible amount of lamivudine was removed via (4-hour) hemodialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, and automated peritoneal dialysis, it is not known if continuous hemodialysis would provide clinical benefit in a lamivudine overdose event.
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This page is built from the openFDA record of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approved labelling for this product, effective 1 December 2022. Label text has been shortened and reformatted for readability; safety wording has not been altered in meaning. FDA labelling describes products approved in the United States — brand names, strengths, formulations and approved uses may differ in your country. Always read the leaflet that comes with your own pack. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the FDA. Retrieved 2026-07-30.