Iretavir 1 mg Tablet

Antiviral (nucleoside analogue) for:

• Chronic hepatitis B infection in adults and children (2 years and over) with active liver disease, including compensated and decompensated cirrhosis

Adults, nucleoside-naive: 0.5 mg once daily.

Lamivudine-resistant or decompensated liver disease: 1 mg once daily.

Children 2–17 years (≥ 10 kg): weight-based oral solution dosing (up to 0.5 mg daily).

• Take on an empty stomach (at least 2 hours after a meal and 2 hours before the next meal), same time every day.
• Kidney impairment (CrCl < 50): dose reduction or longer interval.
• Usually long-term; do not stop without your doctor — hepatitis can flare severely after stopping.

• Allergy to entecavir

Common: headache, tiredness, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, raised liver enzymes.

Less common: diarrhoea, indigestion, rash, hair loss.

Rare but serious: lactic acidosis with liver enlargement (especially in decompensated cirrhosis), severe flare of hepatitis after stopping treatment.

• Liver tests regularly during treatment and for several months after stopping.
• Test for HIV before starting — entecavir alone in untreated HIV can cause HIV resistance.
• Kidney function monitoring and dose adjustment.
• Treatment does not prevent passing hepatitis B to others — partners and family should be vaccinated.

Not preferred in pregnancy (tenofovir is preferred); use only if needed. Not recommended while breastfeeding.

• Drugs affecting kidney function (aminoglycosides, NSAIDs, ciclosporin) may raise levels — monitor
• Few other significant interactions

Limited experience; supportive care and monitoring.

Store below 30°C. Oral solution: protect from light.