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NORVIR- ritonavir tablet, film coated


  1. Patient Information
  2. Do Not Take Norvir If You Or Your Child:
  3. The Most Common Side Effects Of Norvir Include:
  4. How Should I Store Norvir?
  5. Active Ingredient:
  6. Inactive Ingredients:
  7. You Will Also Need The Following Items To Prepare Your Dose Of Norvir Oral Powder With Food (not Included In The Norvir Oral Powder Carton):
  8. Manufactured By:

Patient Information 

Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Patient Information and Instructions for Use)

General Information Dosing and Preparation Information

  • Advise patients and caregivers to pay special attention to accurate preparation and administration of their dose to minimize the risk of accidental overdose or underdose of NORVIR.
  • For Norvir oral powder, advise patients or caregivers to read and follow the Instructions for Use for preparing the correct dose.
  • Advise caregivers to inform their healthcare provider if their children s weight changes in order to make sure that the child s NORVIR dose is adjusted as needed.
  • Advise patients to take NORVIR with meals.
  • For adult patients taking NORVIR tablets, the maximum dose of 600 mg twice daily by mouth with meals should not be exceeded.
  • Advise patients to remain under the care of a physician while using NORVIR and to take NORVIR and other concomitant antiretroviral therapy every day as prescribed. NORVIR must always be used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. Advise patients not to alter the dose or discontinue therapy without consulting with their healthcare provider. If a dose of NORVIR is missed patients should take the dose as soon as possible and then return to their normal schedule. However, if a dose is skipped the patient should not double the next dose.
  • Continued NORVIR therapy at a dose of 600 mg twice daily following loss of viral suppression may increase the likelihood of cross-resistance to other protease inhibitors.
  • NORVIR is not a cure for HIV-1 infection and patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections. Patients should remain under the care of a physician when using NORVIR.

Drug Interactions

  • NORVIR may interact with some drugs; therefore, patients should be advised to report to their doctor the use of any other prescription, non-prescription medication or herbal products, particularly St. John's Wort.
  • Instruct patients receiving combined hormonal contraception to use an effective alternative contraceptive method or an additional barrier method during therapy with NORVIR because hormonal levels may decrease[
    • NORVIR can interact with other medicines and cause serious side effects. It is important to know the medicines that should not be taken with NORVIR.
      • NORVIR tablets and oral solution are prescription medicines that are used with other antiviral medicines to treat people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection.
      • NORVIR oral powder is a prescription medicine that is used with other antiviral medicines to treat children with HIV-1 infection.
      HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome).

Do Not Take Norvir If You Or Your Child: 

  • are allergic to ritonavir or any of the ingredients in NORVIR.
  • Liver problems.Some people taking NORVIR in combination with other antiviral medicines have developed liver problems which may be life-threatening. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood tests during your combination treatment with NORVIR. If you have chronic hepatitis B or C infection, your healthcare provider should check your blood tests more often because you have an increased chance of developing liver problems. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs and symptoms of liver problems:
  • loss of appetite
  • pain or tenderness on your right side below your ribs
  • yellowing of your skin or whites of your eyes
  • itchy skin
  • Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis).NORVIR can cause serious pancreas problems, which may lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have signs or symptoms of pancreatitis such as:
  • nausea
  • stomach (abdomen) pain
  • vomiting
  • Allergic reactions.Sometimes these allergic reactions can become severe and require treatment in a hospital. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash. Stop taking NORVIR and get medical help right away if you have any of the following symptoms of a severe allergic reaction:
  • trouble breathing
  • wheezing
  • dizziness or fainting
  • throat tightness or hoarseness
  • fast heartbeat or pounding in your chest (tachycardia)
  • sweating
  • swelling of your face, lips or tongue
  • muscle or joint pain
  • blisters or skin lesions
  • mouth sores or ulcers
Changes in the electrical activity of your heart called PR prolongation. PR prolongation can cause irregular heartbeats.Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have symptoms such as:
  • dizziness
  • lightheadedness
  • feel faint or pass out
  • abnormal heart beat
  • Increase in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.Treatment with NORVIR may increase your blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before you start your treatment with NORVIR and regularly to check for an increase in your cholesterol and triglycerides levels.
  • Diabetes and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia).Some people who take protease inhibitors including NORVIR can get high blood sugar, develop diabetes, or your diabetes can get worse. Tell your healthcare provider if you notice an increase in thirst or urinate often during treatment with NORVIR.
  • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome)can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Call your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.
  • Change in body fatcan happen in some people who taking HIV-1 medicines. These changes may include an increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck ( buffalo hump ), breast, and around the middle part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms, and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known.
  • Increased bleeding for hemophiliacs.Some people with hemophilia have increased bleeding with protease inhibitors including NORVIR.

The Most Common Side Effects Of Norvir Include: 

  • diarrhea
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • upper and lower stomach (abdominal) pain
  • tingling feeling or numbness in hands or feet or around the lips
  • rash
  • feeling weak or tired
NORVIR oral solution contains a large amount of alcohol. If a toddler or young child accidentally drinks more than the recommended dose of NORVIR, it could make him/her sick from too much alcohol. Go to the nearest emergency room right away if this happens.
These are not all of the possible side effects of NORVIR. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

How Should I Store Norvir? 

  • Store NORVIR tablets and NORVIR oral solution in the original container given to you by the pharmacist.
  • Use NORVIR tablets, NORVIR oral solution, and NORVIR oral powder by the expiration date.

Store NORVIR tablets:

  • Store below 30 C (86 F). Exposure to temperatures up to 50 C (122 F) for seven days permitted.
  • Exposure to high humidity outside the original container for longer than 2 weeks is not recommended.

Store NORVIR oral solution:

  • At room temperature between 20 C to 25 C (68 F to 77 F).
  • Do not refrigerate.
  • Shake well before each use.
  • Keep away from heat.
  • Keep bottle cap tightly closed.

Store NORVIR oral powder:

  • At or below 30 C (86 F).

Keep NORVIR and all medicines out of the reach of children.

General information about the safe and effective use of NORVIR
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information Leaflet. Do not use NORVIR for a condition for which it was not prescribed. Do not give NORVIR to other people, even if they have the same symptoms that you have. It may harm them. You can ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider for information about NORVIR that is written for healthcare professionals.

Active Ingredient: 

ritonavir

Inactive Ingredients: 

NORVIR tablet: copovidone, anhydrous dibasic calcium phosphate, sorbitan monolaurate, colloidal silicon dioxide, and sodium stearyl fumarate. The film coating contains: hypromellose, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol 400, hydroxypropyl cellulose, talc, polyethylene glycol 3350, colloidal silicon dioxide, and polysorbate 80.

NORVIR oral solution: ethanol, water, polyoxyl 35 castor oil, propylene glycol, anhydrous citric acid to adjust pH, saccharin sodium, peppermint oil, creamy caramel flavoring, and FD&C Yellow No. 6.

NORVIR oral powder: copovidone, sorbitan monolaurate, and colloidal silicon dioxide.

NORVIR tablets and NORVIR oral solution are manufactured by: AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064 USA

NORVIR oral powder is manufactured for: AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064 USA

For more information, call 1-800-633-9110.

The brands listed are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of AbbVie Inc. The makers of these brands are not affiliated with and do not endorse AbbVie Inc. or its products. 2017 AbbVie Inc. All rights reserved. 03-B592

This Patient Information has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Revised: September 2017



Instructions for Use
NORVIR
(ritonavir)
oral powder

Read these Instructions for Use before you give or take a dose of NORVIR oral powder for the first time and every time you get a new prescription. There may be new information. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any questions.

Important information

  • Your healthcare provider will tell you your dose of NORVIR oral powder and how many packets you will need.
  • Each packet contains 100 mg of NORVIR oral powder.
  • When you receive your NORVIR oral powder prescription at the pharmacy, check to make sure that the carton is not damaged and that the packets are not opened.
  • Check that the expiration date on the carton and packet has not passed.
  • Make sure you have enough packets of NORVIR oral powder to give a full dose. Call your healthcare provider if you need more NORVIR oral powder.Do not run out of your medicine.
  • NORVIR oral powder can be prepared with either food or liquid.This Instructions for Use is for preparing the dose with food.
  • The food can be replaced with a liquid and the same steps can be followed for preparing a dose.
  • If your healthcare provider tells you to give NORVIR oral powder through a feeding tube,use water to mix NORVIR oral powder. Follow your healthcare provider s instructions to give the mixture through a feeding tube.
  • Be sure to give or take the entire prepared dose of NORVIR oral powder within 2 hours of preparing the dose.

For more information about NORVIR oral powder see the Patient Information section of the Prescribing Information.

Items included in the NORVIR oral powder carton

30-packet-100mg

Figure A

Gather items to prepare your dose

If your dose is 100 mg or 200 mg: You will need 1 packet of NORVIR oral powder for 100 mg and 2 packets of NORVIR oral powder for 200 mg.

Note:If your healthcare provider prescribes a dose of NORVIR oral powder that is not 100 mg or 200 mg, your healthcare provider should tell you how to prepare your dose. Be sure to prepare your dose exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.

You Will Also Need The Following Items To Prepare Your Dose Of Norvir Oral Powder With Food (not Included In The Norvir Oral Powder Carton): 

  • Soft food such as applesauce or vanilla pudding
  • Spoon
  • Small cup or bowl
food-spoon-cup

Figure B

If you are preparing a dose of NORVIR oral powder in liquid, you will also need the following items (not included in your NORVIR oral powder carton):

  • Drinking glass with 4 oz. of drinking water, infant formula or chocolate milk
  • Spoon (teaspoon or larger)
glass-spoon

Figure C

The instructions below show the dose being prepared with food, but if you are using liquid you can swap the food for a liquid.

Prepare your dose
Step 1:Place your supplies on a clean, flat surface, like a table.

Check to make sure your small cup or bowl and spoon are clean and dry.
Step 2:Check the prescription label on the carton for the number of packets you need to prepare a dose.

Take the prescribed number of packets out of the carton. For example, remove 1 packet if your dose is 100 mg or 2 packets if your dose is 200 mg.
100mg-packet
Figure D
Step 3:Put a spoonful or more of soft food into the small cup or bowl.food-step3
Figure E
Step 4:Tap the packet(s) to move all the powder to the bottom of the packet.

Completely tear or cut off the top of the packet and make sure the packet is fully open.
tap-tear-packet
Figure F
Step 5:Pour all of the powder from the packet(s) onto the soft food.

Look inside the packet(s) to make sure there is no powder left inside. If there is powder left inside, hold the open end of the packet over your small cup or bowl and tap the packet(s) again to get all of the powder out.

Note:To make sure a full dose of NORVIR is given, it is important not to spill any powder and that there is no powder left in the packet(s).
mix-with-food
Figure G
Step 6:Use the spoon to mix the powder and soft food well.

Note:If mixing NORVIR oral powder with a liquid, the mixture may look cloudy. This is okay.
food-step6
Figure H
Step 7:Give or take the mixture.

Be sure that all of the mixture is taken.

If there is any powder left in the small cup, bowl, or spoon, add more soft food to the powder and mix. Then give or take the mixture.

If there is any powder left in the drinking glass, add more liquid to the powder and mix. Then give or take the mixture.

Note:The mixture must be given within 2 hours of mixing with food or liquid. If not given within 2 hours of mixing, discard (throw away) the mixture and prepare a new dose.

If only part of the dose has been taken or given within the 2 hours, follow up with your healthcare provider.
food-step7
Figure I
Step 8:Put the empty packet(s) in the trash.

Hand wash the spoon, small cup or bowl, or drinking glass in warm water and soap.

Rinse the spoon, small cup or bowl, or drinking glass with warm water and allow to air dry.

Wash and dry the area used to prepare the NORVIR mixture.

Wash and dry your hands.

This Instructions for Use has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Manufactured By: 

NORVIR Oral Powder is manufactured for: AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064 USA.

Issued:June 2017

430135



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