Kivexa is a fixed-dose combination tablet comprising 300mg 3TC (lamivudine) and 600mg abacavir, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. 3TC and abacavir are both nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which reduce the amount of HIV in the body.

The standard dose of Kivexa is one tablet once a day, with or without food, in combination with at least one other anti-HIV drug. It is licensed for use in adults and children over twelve years of age. Its European license was granted in December 2004. In the United States, the same combination is called Epzicom, which was granted its license in August 2004.

Kivexa was licensed following demonstration that it had similar anti-HIV effects to once-daily 3TC (Epivir) and abacavir (Ziagen) taken separately, when they were combined with the non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) efavirenz (Sustiva). In a study of 770 patients who had not taken anti-HIV therapy before, success rates were similar in the two arms^[1]. Kivexa has also been shown to be as effective as its constituent drugs taken separately in treatment-experienced patients. The efficacy of 3TC and abacavir had already been demonstrated in previous studies.

Kivexa is only recommended for use during pregnancy where the risks outweigh the benefits.

For more information on 3TC and abacavir, including side-effects, resistance and drug interactions, see 3TC (lamivudine, Epivir) and abacavir (Ziagen).