Can Bikeren Prenol Tablets (Bituvi) be stopped suddenly and the possible risks caused by stopping the medicine?

Biktarvy tablets (Biktarvy) belong to the standard first-line HIV antiviral regimen, including biktarvy, emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide. Because the drug maintains undetectable viral loads by continuously inhibiting viral replication, it cannot be stopped suddenly during treatment. If the patient stops taking the drug without evaluation, the virus in the body will rebound quickly and resume high-level replication in a short period of time, causing the immune function to decline again and increasing the risk of transmission. For some people with poor basic immunity or low CD4 , sudden discontinuation of medication may even trigger an acute reversal of the inflammatory response, making symptoms significantly worse.

Abrupt discontinuation Biktarvy Another important risk is the emergence of drug resistance. Biktarvy As a single-pill combination drug, one of its advantages is its strong potency and high resistance barrier, but this does not mean that resistance will never occur. If patients suddenly interrupt treatment and then resume medication intermittently or irregularly, the virus will replicate in a "low drug concentration" state, which will significantly increase the chance of developing drug-resistant mutations. Once drug resistance occurs, subsequent treatment options may need to be changed to more expensive combination options with more drugs and greater side effects. The difficulty and cost of treatment will increase.

In addition, sudden discontinuation may also affect the patient's overall health, including CD4 rapid decline in cells, increased risk of opportunistic infections, and reappearance of certain underlying symptoms (such as fatigue, night sweats, weight loss). Patients who have remained undetectable for long periods of time are particularly likely to overlook this risk because they feel fine in the moment, but viral rebound often precedes the onset of clinical symptoms. Therefore, the decision to discontinue medication should never be based on self-perception or short-term needs, but must be evaluated and monitored by a physician.

If it is really necessary to discontinue the drug, for example due to serious adverse reactions, drug interactions, the need to change the regimen, or planning pregnancy, etc., it must be guided by an infectious disease physician to formulate a safe discontinuation and transition plan . Doctors usually arrange for viral load, liver and kidney function, and drug resistance gene testing, and evaluate alternative options or necessary transitional treatments to avoid viral rebound as much as possible. In short, Biktarvy can be discontinued, but it must be a "planned discontinuation" rather than an "abrupt discontinuation". Only under the close supervision of a professional doctor can safety be ensured and long-term treatment effects not be affected.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/