ABACAVIR SULFATE - abacavir sulfate tablet, film coated 
State of Florida DOH Central Pharmacy

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MEDICATION GUIDE
ABACAVIR TABLETS, USP
(a bak′ a vir sul′ fate)
300 mg

Read this Medication Guide before you start taking abacavir tablets and each time you get a refill. There may be new information. This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare provider about your medical condition or your treatment. Be sure to carry your Abacavir Tablets Warning Card with you at all times.

What is the most important information I should know about abacavir tablets?

1. Serious allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction). Abacavir tablets contain abacavir (also contained in EPZICOM®** and TRIZIVIR®**). Patients taking abacavir tablets may have a serious allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death. Your risk of this allergic reaction is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation.

If you get a symptom from two or more of the following groups while taking abacavir tablets, call your healthcare provider right away to find out if you should stop taking abacavir tablets.

Symptom(s)
Group 1 Fever
Group 2 Rash
Group 3 Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal (stomach area) pain
Group 4 Generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness
Group 5 Shortness of breath, cough, sore throat

 

A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times.

If you stop abacavir tablets because of an allergic reaction, never take abacavir tablets (abacavir sulfate) or any other abacavir-containing medicine (EPZICOM®** and TRIZIVIR®**) again. If you take abacavir tablets or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get life threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop abacavir tablets for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to abacavir, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking abacavir tablets again can cause a serious allergic or life threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before.

If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take abacavir again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one.

2. Lactic Acidosis (buildup of acid in the blood). Some human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) medicines, including abacavir tablets, can cause a rare but serious condition called lactic acidosis. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can cause death and must be treated in the hospital.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms of lactic acidosis:

3. Serious liver problems. Some people who have taken medicines like abacavir tablets have developed serious liver problems called hepatotoxicity, with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) and fat in the liver (steatosis). Hepatomegaly with steatosis is a serious medical emergency that can cause death.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems:

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking nucleoside analogue medicines for a long time.

What is abacavir?

Abacavir is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV infection. Abacavir is a medicine called a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI). Abacavir is always used with other anti-HIV medicines. When used in combination with these other medicines, abacavir helps lower the amount of HIV in your blood.

Who should not take abacavir tablets?

Do not take abacavir tablets if you:

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking abacavir tablets?

Before you take abacavir tablets, tell your healthcare provider if you:

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

Ask your healthcare provider if you are not sure if you take one of the medicines listed above.

Abacavir tablets may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how abacavir tablets work.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of your medicines with you to show to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

How should I take abacavir tablets?

What are the possible side effects of abacavir tablets?

These changes may include:

The most common side effects of abacavir in adults include:

The most common side effects of abacavir in children include:

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of abacavir tablets. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

How should I store abacavir tablets?

General information for safe and effective use of abacavir tablets

Avoid doing things that can spread HIV-1 infection to others.

Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Medication Guide. Do not use abacavir for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give abacavir tablets to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them.

This Medication Guide summarizes the most important information about abacavir tablets. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for the information that is written for healthcare professionals.

For more information call Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-877-4-INFO-RX (1-877-446-3679).

What are the ingredients in abacavir tablets?

Active ingredient: abacavir sulfate, USP

Inactive ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, hypromellose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, red iron oxide, sodium starch glycolate, titanium dioxide and yellow iron oxide.

This Medication Guide has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

** The brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
Manufactured for:
Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Morgantown, WV 26505 U.S.A.

Manufactured in India by:
Mylan Laboratories Limited
Hyderabad — 500 034, India
Code No.: MH/DRUGS/25/NKD/89

This Product was Repackaged By:

State of Florida DOH Central Pharmacy
104-2 Hamilton Park Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32304
United States

Revised: 8/2013
State of Florida DOH Central Pharmacy