Truvada, a popular HIV medication, is part of a class of drugs that have been associated with some serious complications. Indeed, the side effects of Truvada include major bone density and kidney issues.

Background of Truvada

Truvada belongs to a class of HIV drugs known as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which are meant to treat HIV by preventing the virus from replicating, which thereby prevents transmission of the disease, and also helps the immune system.

These medications, manufactured by drugmaker Gilead, contain the active ingredient tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). TDF was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an HIV medication in 2001. Side effects of Truvada and these other NRTI drugs are associated with the TDF they contain.

Side effects of Truvada, linked with TDF, including chronic kidney disease, as well as bone demineralization from compromised bone density. In some cases, this has led to bone fractures.

These bone and kidney side effects of Truvada have also been associated with other drugs belonging to its class because they each contain tenofovir disoproxil fumarate. These HIV drugs include the following:

• Truvada
• Atripla
• Complera
• Stribild
• Viread

Lawsuits Filed Over NRTI Drugs

A number of both personal injury and class action lawsuits have so far been filed against Gilead, alleging that its NRTI drugs containing TDF cause kidney and bone problems.

One of these lawsuits, filed over side effects of Truvada in July 2018, alleges that the drugs have low bioavailability, meaning that it can’t be absorbed well. Because of this issue, these drugs have to be “ingested at high doses in order to provide the promised antiviral effect,” the lawsuit says. However, this allegedly means that patients must expose themselves to excessive amounts of TDF, leading to these serious side effects of Truvada.

According to the Truvada lawsuit, the drug’s manufacturer was actually aware of these complications since the development of the drug, yet downplayed the risks, instead of marketing the drug as a safe option.

Moreover, Gilead allegedly had a safer version of the drug available—tenofovir alafenamide—but plaintiffs say the company withheld it from the market in order to first maximize profits from TDF drugs.

Another lawsuit claims that “by holding on to its research and shelving TAF, Gilead could patent TAF separately and save it for development when their patent and exclusivity on TDF ran out, in 20 years.”

Filing a Lawsuit Over Side Effects of Truvada

If you or a loved one has suffered from bone or kidney side effects of Truvada or another NRTI drug, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by side effects of Truvada, it can help to compensate for the financial damages incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.