Invirase

What is Saquinavir ?
Saquinavir comes as two different dosage forms. One is called Invirase and the other is called Fortovase. Fortovase was developed to improve the absorption of Invirase. However, the popularity of Invirase is increasing because it can be used in combination with other protease inhibitors. Saquinavir belongs to a class of drugs called protease inhibitors which are used to treat HIV infection. In order to treat HIV effectively, Saquinavir MUST be taken in combination with other HIV medications as prescribed.

How does Saquinavir work ?
Saquinavir interferes with a particular HIV specific enzyme. This enzyme is important because it allows for the production of new HIV viruses which can infect more T-cells (CD4 immune cells). When Saquinavir is taken in combination with other HIV medications the goal is to prevent the virus from further weakening the immune system. If Saquinavir is effective then you should expect to see an increase in T-cells and decrease in HIV viral load. Not everybody responds to Saquinavir, however you can improve the chance that Saquinavir will work by taking all your medications everyday.

What does Saquinavir look like and how should Saquinavir be taken ?
Fortovase is a cream colored soft-gel capsule. Invirase is a is a green and yellow capsule. Patients can be on different doses of Fortovase or Invirase, depending on what other medications they are taking.

Saquinavir should be taken with food to help increase absorption.

It is very important to try not to miss or skip any doses. The fewer doses a person skips the fewer opportunities the HIV virus has to develop resistance to the medication.

What are the common side effects of Saquinavir ?
The most common side effect is diarrhea. Other side effects include nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach discomfort. These side effects typically disappear after a few weeks.