Vemlidy Tablet: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects, Precautions and Alternates

Quick overview

Vemlidy Tablet (generic name: tenofovir alafenamide) is a prescription antiviral medicine belonging to the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) drug class. It is used to treat chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adults with stable liver disease. Vemlidy works by stopping the hepatitis B virus from multiplying, which helps protect the liver from further damage.

What is Vemlidy Tablet

Vemlidy is a prescription antiviral tablet used to treat chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B virus infection in adults with stable liver disease.

Vemlidy Tablet uses

• Treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection in adults.
• Treatment of hepatitis B in patients with compensated liver disease.
• Suppression of hepatitis B virus replication.
• Management of long-term hepatitis B infection.
• Helps protect liver health by controlling the virus.

Benefits of Vemlidy Tablet

• Treats chronic hepatitis B infection.
• Helps reduce hepatitis B virus levels in the body.
• Helps control liver inflammation caused by hepatitis B.
• May help reduce the risk of liver damage over time.
• Supports long-term management of chronic hepatitis B.

How Vemlidy Tablet works

Vemlidy is converted inside liver cells into its active form, which blocks an enzyme the hepatitis B virus needs to copy itself. This stops the virus from multiplying and helps protect the liver from further damage.

Vemlidy Tablet dosage

Take Vemlidy once a day at about the same time each day, with food. Do not change your dose or stop taking it without first talking with your healthcare provider. Do not miss a dose, since missing doses can make the virus harder to treat. If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. Do not stop taking this medicine without telling your healthcare provider, because your hepatitis B may suddenly get worse. Keep taking it on a regular schedule and do not let your supply run out.

Available forms and strengths

• Tablet

Side effects of Vemlidy Tablet

Common

• Headache
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Cough
• Nausea
• Back pain
• Diarrhea

Serious

• Lactic acidosis (buildup of lactic acid in the blood)
• Severe liver problems, including enlarged liver and fat buildup in the liver
• Worsening (flare-up) of hepatitis B after stopping treatment
• New or worsening kidney problems, including kidney failure
• Severe allergic reactions

Warnings and precautions

• This medicine can cause a serious buildup of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis), which can be life-threatening. Get medical help right away if you feel very weak or tired, have unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feel cold in your arms or legs, feel dizzy, or have a fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Serious liver problems can occur, including liver enlargement and fat buildup in the liver, which can be fatal in some cases.
• Stopping this medicine can cause hepatitis B to suddenly flare up and become worse than before. Do not stop taking it without talking to your healthcare provider first, and do not let your supply run out.
• If you also have HIV infection and take this medicine alone, the HIV virus may become resistant and harder to treat. Your healthcare provider should test you for HIV before you start treatment.
• New or worsening kidney problems, including kidney failure, can occur with this medicine. Your healthcare provider will check your kidney function with blood and urine tests before and during treatment.
• It is not known if Vemlidy will harm an unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking it. There is a pregnancy registry that tracks outcomes for women who take this medicine during pregnancy.
• It is not known whether Vemlidy passes into human breast milk or affects the breastfed baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.
• Vemlidy is not recommended for people with very severe kidney disease (end-stage renal disease). Your healthcare provider may test your kidney function before and during treatment.
• Vemlidy is not recommended for people with decompensated (severe) liver disease.
• Drinking alcohol may increase the risk of liver damage while taking this medicine.

Storage

• Store below 30°C (86°F)
• Keep container tightly closed
• Dispense only in original container
• Keep out of reach of children

When to see a doctor

• Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel very weak or tired, have unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feel cold especially in your arms and legs, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or have a fast or irregular heartbeat — these can be signs of lactic acidosis.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, you have dark tea-colored urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite, nausea, or pain in the right side of your stomach area — these can be signs of serious liver problems.
• Get emergency medical help right away if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• If you take too much Vemlidy, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

Alternatives

• Hepsera
• Baraclude
• Viread