Simeprevir (Oral)
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Feb 24, 2022.
Test all patients for evidence of current or prior hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection before initiating treatment with simeprevir. HBV reactivation has been reported in hepatitis C virus (HCV)/HBV coinfected patients who were undergoing or had completed treatment with HCV direct-acting antivirals and were not receiving HBV antiviral therapy. Some cases have resulted in fulminant hepatitis, hepatic failure, and death. Monitor HCV/HBV coinfected patients for hepatitis flare or HBV reactivation during HCV treatment and post-treatment follow-up. Initiate appropriate patient management for HBV infection as clinically indicated
Commonly used brand name(s)
In the U.S.
- Olysio
Pharmacologic Class: Protease Inhibitor
Uses for simeprevir
Simeprevir is used in combination with injectable peginterferon alfa (Pegasys®, Pegintron®) and ribavirin (Copegus®, Rebetol®), or with sofosbuvir (Sovaldi®), to treat chronic hepatitis C infection. These medicines are used in patients with liver disease (including cirrhosis) who have not been treated before or who have received other medicines that did not work well. Simeprevir is an antiviral agent.
Simeprevir is available only with your doctor's prescription.
Before using simeprevir
In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For simeprevir, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to simeprevir or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of simeprevir in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.
Geriatric
Although appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of simeprevir have not been performed in the geriatric population, no geriatric-specific problems have been documented to date.
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Interactions with medicines
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking simeprevir, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.
Using simeprevir with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one..
