How Much Is Biktarvy Without Insurance?
Biktarvy can cost more than $4,000 for a 30-day supply without insurance. Learn more about how much Biktarvy is without insurance and ways to save with GoodRx.
Biktarvy
Used for HIV Treatment
Used for HIV Treatment
Biktarvy is a combination antiretroviral medication. It contains bictegravir, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF). Biktarvy is a complete treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It's approved for adults and children who weigh at least 30 pounds with HIV. Biktarvy is a first-choice option for people starting HIV treatment. This medication comes as a single tablet and is taken by mouth once daily. It can cause side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, and headache.
What is Biktarvy?
What is Biktarvy used for?
- Treatment of HIV in people weighing at least 30 lbs:
- Who are starting treatment for the first time
- Who've tried other HIV treatments that haven't worked well enough and who don't have resistance to certain HIV medications
- Who want to switch HIV treatment and have a viral load of less than 50 copies/mL
How Biktarvy works
Biktarvy is a combination of three medications that work together to fight HIV.
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Bictegravir is an integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI). It works by blocking an HIV protein called integrase. The virus uses integrase to put its DNA into your cells. Once inserted, the virus can make more copies of itself. By blocking integrase, bictegravir helps stop HIV from spreading in your body.
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Emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide are nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). They work by blocking a protein in HIV called reverse transcriptase. This stops the virus from making more copies of itself.
Drug facts
| Common Brands | Biktarvy |
|---|---|
| Drug Class | HIV ARV |
| Controlled Substance Classification | Not a controlled medication |
| Generic Status | No lower-cost generic available |
| Availability | Prescription only |
More on Biktarvy essentials
Side effects of Biktarvy
The following side effects may get better over time as your body gets used to the medication. Let your healthcare provider know immediately if you continue to experience these symptoms or if they worsen over time.
Common Side Effects
- Higher creatine kinase levels (8%)
- Diarrhea (6%)
- Nausea (6%)
- Headache (5%)
Less Common Side Effects
- Feeling tired
- Abnormal dreams
- Dizziness
- Trouble sleeping
- Swollen belly
- Vomiting
- Feeling gassy
- Indigestion
- Belly pain
- Rash
- Depression
- Higher liver enzyme levels
- Higher cholesterol
Biktarvy serious side effects
Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following.
- Overactive immune system (immune reconstitution syndrome): fever, chills, night sweats, headache, tiredness, swollen lymph nodes, cough, trouble breathing
- Kidney problems: tiredness, confusion, urinating more or less than usual, swelling in your legs, bone pain, muscle weakness
- Buildup of lactic acid (lactic acidosis): feeling more tired and weak, belly pain, muscle pain, trouble breathing
- Liver problems: nausea, vomiting, not feeling hungry, pain on the upper right side of your stomach, yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin, dark urine, light-colored stool
The following Biktarvy side effects have also been reported
Side effects that you should report to your care team as soon as possible:
- Allergic reactions—skin rash, itching, hives, swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat
- High lactic acid level—muscle pain or cramps, stomach pain, trouble breathing, general discomfort and fatigue
- Infection—fever, chills, cough, or sore throat
- Kidney injury—decrease in the amount of urine, swelling of the ankles, hands, or feet
- Liver injury—right upper belly pain, loss of appetite, nausea, light-colored stool, dark yellow or brown urine, yellowing skin or eyes, unusual weakness or fatigue
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report these to your care team if they continue or are bothersome):
Get your GoodRx coupon
$4935.32
GoodRx discount
$4053.71
Pros and cons of Biktarvy
Pros
- Complete HIV treatment in a single tablet
- Only taken once a day, with or without food
- First-choice option for people who've never been treated for HIV before
- Possible option during pregnancy
Cons
- Can interact with certain antacids (must take several hours before or after)
- Must store tablets in the original bottle
- Not recommended for people with severe kidney or liver problems
- Not approved for people who weigh less than 30 lbs
Pharmacist tips for Biktarvy
- Take Biktarvy every day. Staying on schedule helps the medication treat HIV the best it can. You can use an app on your phone or pair it with something in your daily routine, like after dinner, to help you remember.
- Talk to your prescriber or care team about where to get Biktarvy. Not every pharmacy will have the medication in stock. Make sure to get your refill early to avoid missing a dose. It's important not to miss doses because it can make HIV harder to treat.
- You can take Biktarvy with or without food.
- If you have trouble swallowing the Biktarvy tablet, talk to your prescriber. Don't cut or crush the tablet unless they say it's okay. Only the tablets for children weighing 30 to 55 pounds have a score line. This means it can be split in half using a pill splitter. Once split, your child can take the halves one after the other; make sure they take the entire dose within 10 minutes of splitting.
- It's best to avoid medications like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) while taking Biktarvy. Try to avoid other medications that can harm your kidneys. Biktarvy can affect your kidneys. So, taking these medications together might raise your risk of kidney damage. Ask your care team if you're not sure if your other medications are safe to take with Biktarvy.
- You can take iron supplements, calcium supplements, or calcium carbonate (Tums) at the same time as Biktarvy. Just make sure to take them together with food.
- Take antacids with aluminum and magnesium, like Mylanta at least 6 hours before or 2 hours after Biktarvy. Don't take them at the same time because they can make Biktarvy work less well.
- Tell your care team about all the medications you take and plan to take. Biktarvy can interact with some medications. Some, like rifampin, can make Biktarvy work less well to treat HIV. Others can raise your risk of serious side effects. Your care team can check your medications and make sure they're all safe to take together.
- Make sure to get your blood and urine tests done on time while taking Biktarvy. These tests help your care team see if the medication is working for you. They can also check for side effects, like kidney or liver problems, that you might not feel at first. Ask your prescriber to go over your lab results.
- Talk to your prescriber before stopping Biktarvy or any of your HIV medications. Stopping too soon can make the virus spread and become harder to treat.
- If you're pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant: Talk to your prescriber about your HIV treatment options during pregnancy. It's okay to take Biktarvy while pregnant. But whether it's right for you depends on your specific situation. If you take Biktarvy while pregnant, ask your prescriber about a registry that monitors your health and your baby's health. They can help you sign up.
Risks and warnings for Biktarvy
Biktarvy can cause some serious health issues. This risk may be even higher for certain groups. If this worries you, talk to your doctor or pharmacist about other options.
Worsening of hepatitis B infection in people with HIV and hepatitis B
- Risk factors: Have hepatitis B and HIV | Stopping Biktarvy | Liver problems
Before you start Biktarvy, your care team will test you for hepatitis B virus (HBV). It's important because HBV could get worse after stopping Biktarvy. This is called an HBV flare-up and can cause serious liver problems.
Don't stop taking Biktarvy without talking with your prescriber first. Make sure to get your refills on time so your treatment isn't interrupted.
If it's the right choice to stop Biktarvy, your prescriber will keep checking on you for another several months. You'll still need to get blood work so they can check your liver for an HBV flare-up. Your prescriber also might give you hepatitis B medications to prevent problems.
Overactive immune system
- Risk factors: Latent infection (a dormant infection)
Taking Biktarvy can cause a strong immune response called immune reconstitution syndrome. After you start this medication, your immune system gets stronger. It begins to fight off infections that it couldn't defend against before. This immune response can cause a lot of inflammation in the body.
In rare cases, your immune system can improve so much that it starts to attack healthy parts of your body. This can cause certain autoimmune problems. These problems can happen soon after starting Biktarvy or months later.
Tell your healthcare team right away if you have fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats, trouble breathing, or cough after starting Biktarvy. Your care team can help manage this reaction.
Kidney problems
- Risk factors: History of kidney problems | Taking other medications that can harm the kidneys
Some people have had kidney problems while taking medications containing tenofovir like Biktarvy. It's not completely clear if they were caused by the medication or other factors.
Before starting Biktarvy, tell your care team if you have kidney problems. It isn't recommended for people with severe kidney problems. Your prescriber will also check your kidneys with blood tests and urine tests. They can make sure Biktarvy is safe for you to take.
Also let your care team know about the medications you take or plan to take. Some can harm the kidneys, and taking them with Biktarvy can raise your risk of kidney damage. Your care team can check for this and make treatment changes to keep you safe if needed. Avoid these medications, which can include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), unless your prescriber says it's okay.
During treatment, your prescriber will keep checking your kidneys periodically with lab tests. Watch for signs of serious kidney problems, like frequent urination, muscle weakness, or bone pain. Tell your care team if you notice these. You might need to stop Biktarvy if any kidney problems become serious.
Liver problems and lactic acidosis
In rare cases, some people taking medications with emtricitabine, like Biktarvy, have had liver problems, like fatty liver. Some have also had a buildup of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis). Both can be very harmful.
Your prescriber will order blood tests while you're taking Biktarvy. This helps check for liver problems and lactic acidosis.
Look out for signs of liver problems. This can include pain on the upper right side of your stomach, yellowish skin or eyes, or dark urine. Also watch for signs of lactic acidosis, like weakness, muscle pain, and trouble breathing. Call your care team if you notice these symptoms. If you develop these problems, you might need to stop Biktarvy.
Interaction with other medications
Some medications can lower the amount of Biktarvy in your body. This can make it work less well and make HIV harder to treat. These medications can include some seizure medications, the antibiotic rifampin, and the herbal supplement St. John's wort.
Biktarvy can also raise the amount of other medications in your body. For example, it can raise the level of a heart medication called dofetilide (Tikosyn). This can raise your risk of serious irregular heart rhythms. Because of this risk, don't take dofetilide (Tikosyn) and Biktarvy together.
Tell your care team about all the medications you take or plan to take. They can make sure your medications are safe to take together and make changes if needed.
Biktarvy dosage
The average cost for 30 tablets of 50mg/200mg/25mg of of Biktarvy is $4,116.95 with a free GoodRx coupon. This is 20.06% off the average retail price of $5,150.02. 
Tablet
Tablet| Dosage | Quantity | Price as low as | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50mg/200mg/25mg of | 30 tablets | $4,116.95 | $137.23 |
| 30mg/120mg/15mg of | 30 tablets | $4,053.71 | $135.12 |
Typical dosage for Biktarvy
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Adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds: The typical dose is 1 tablet by mouth once daily. Each tablet contains 50 mg of bictegravir, 200 mg of emtricitabine, and 25 mg of tenofovir alafenamide.
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Children who weigh 30 to 54 pounds: The typical dose is 1 tablet by mouth once daily. Each tablet contains 30 mg of bictegravir, 120 mg of emtricitabine, and 15 mg of tenofovir alafenamide.
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People who are pregnant: The typical dose is 1 tablet by mouth once daily. Each tablet contains 50 mg of bictegravir, 200 mg of emtricitabine, and 25 mg of tenofovir alafenamide.
How much does Biktarvy cost?
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Biktarvy (brand)
$4,053.71
Biktarvy contraindications
Contraindications are specific health conditions or situations in which a person should not take a medication due to safety concerns. If you have any of the following conditions or if any of the following apply to you, let your healthcare provider know because Biktarvy will not be safe for you to take.
- Take dofetilide (Tikosyn)
- Take rifampin (Rifadin)
What are alternatives to Biktarvy?
There are a number of medications that your doctor can prescribe in place of Biktarvy. Compare a few possible alternatives below.
News about Biktarvy
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