Twenty-five plaintiffs have filed a legal claim over side effects of Stribild and other HIV drugs produced by Gilead Sciences Inc. headquartered in Foster City, California.

The complainants come from different areas of the U.S. such as Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, New York, Florida, Illinois, Tennessee, Minnesota, Georgia, and Alabama. All 25 plaintiffs say they ingested Stribild or one of several other TDF-based HIV treatment medications. Consequently, the group says they have individually suffered serious side effects of Stribild and related formulations.

TDF and Low Bioavailability

The alleged problem with these group of medications is that they contain tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), which has low bioavailability. According to The Balance, the pharmacological definition of bioavailability is the “degree and rate at which the administered drug is absorbed by the body’s circulatory system.”

The article goes on to further note that it is a critical measurement because it helps to determine the right dosage for a non-intravenous administration of a drug. In the case of TDF, which was discovered in the 1980s, oral delivery causes very little of the active drug to be absorbed by the body. Yet, if a drug is delivered intravenously, it becomes 100 percent absorbable.

In this and other lawsuits, Gilead is accused of recognizing this lack of bio-availability from the start. Allegedly because they saw no market for an intravenous HIV drug, the defendant made the choice to produce their TDF line in oral format.

Due to its lack of bioavailability, large doses of the active ingredient had to be put into each formulation. Plaintiffs claim these large doses may have led to multiple side effects of Stribild, Viread, Truvada, Atripla and Complera.

Where Does the TDF Go?

When the body cannot absorb all this excess TDF dosage, it can take a grave toll on the skeletal and renal system. Reported side effects of Stribild and similar compounds include osteopenia, osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease.

The extra amount of the compound must go somewhere and, according to the lawsuit, it purportedly was deposited in the bones and kidneys of the claimants.

What is Osteopenia and Osteoporosis?

According to Medicine Net, osteopenia and osteoporosis are conditions that are related and exist along a continuum. They occur when the bones of the skeletal system become demineralized and thus less dense. The likelihood of breaking a bone is much greater as one moves along the continuum of bone tissue loss.

Nearly all of the 25 complainants suffered differing degrees of these conditions, with some unable to stand for very long, walk, or engage in normal life activities such as work. Many are fully disabled and endure excruciating daily pain from multiple bone injuries.

In terms of kidney function, most of the plaintiffs suffer from chronic kidney disease and many are dependent upon dialysis to function daily.

The Gilead Sciences Lawsuit is Case No. 3:19-cv-00481-LB in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.