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Does Symtuza cause weight gain?

Medically reviewed by Kristianne Hannemann, PharmD. Last updated on June 28, 2024.

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Symtuza may cause a small amount of weight gain as a side effect. In two clinical studies over 96 weeks, patients taking Symtuza gained about 2 kg (4.4 lbs). It isn’t clear why certain antiretroviral medications like Symtuza cause weight gain.

The effects of weight gain from HIV treatment like Symtuza aren’t fully known. To lower your risk of gaining weight, maintain a balanced diet and get plenty of exercise. If you are concerned about your weight, speak to your healthcare provider.

What is Symtuza approved for?

Symtuza is a combination antiviral medication that includes darunavir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide. It was FDA approved in 2018 as a complete regimen for treating HIV-1 infection in people weighing at least 40 kg. This includes children and adults. To be eligible for Symtuza, you must have no prior history of antiretroviral treatment or be virologically suppressed (HIV-1 RNA below 50 copies/mL) on antiretroviral treatment for at least 6 months.

References

Huhn, G. D., et. al. (2021). Week 96 subgroup analyses of the phase 3, randomized AMBER and EMERALD trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of the once daily darunavir/cobicistat/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (D/C/F/TAF) single-tablet regimen in antiretroviral treatment (ART)-naïve and -experienced, virologically-suppressed adults living with HIV-1. In: HIV Research and Clinical Practice. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/25787489.2020.1844520

Ruderman, S. A., et. al. (2021). Brief Report: Weight Gain Following ART Initiation in ART-Naïve People Living With HIV in the Current Treatment Era. In: Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/QAI.0000000000002556

Symtuza [package insert]. (2023). Janssen Products LP. Accessed 06/28/2024 at https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=85a17d00-6b7c-41ea-a6b3-5ad924820dab

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