Zoquine 300

Rx

Indications

Zoquine 300 is used in conjunction with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients.

Dosage

• The recommended oral dosage of zidovudine for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults 18 years of age or older is 600 mg daily in divided doses (300 mg twice daily).
• For pediatric patients weighing ≥ 30 kg, the dosage regimen of zidovudine is 300 mg twice daily.
• Reduce dosage in hepatic and renal impairment (i.e., creatinine clearance less than 15 ml/minute).

Usage

Zoquine 300 is administered orally without regard to meals.

• Known to be hypersensitive to zidovudine, or to any of the ingredients.
• Patients with low neutrophil counts, less than 0.75 x 10⁹/L, or low hemoglobin levels, less than 75 g/L.

• Granulocytopenia and severe anemia.
• Abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and headache. Myopathy and nail pigmentation sometimes occur when using for long time.
• Megaloblastic anemia, granulocytopenia, leucopenia, neutropenia.
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dyspepsia.
• Severe headache, insomnia, malaise, vertigo, manic syndrome, convulsions, mental disorder, confusion, fever.
• Cholestasis hepatitis, fatty degeneration.
• Rash, nail pigmentation, alopecia, epidermal necrolysis.
• Tremor, myalgia, arthralgia, polymyositis.

• Zidovudine is not a cure for HIV infection, and patients may continue to acquire illnesses associated with HIV infection. Therefore, the patients must be informed to seek medical care for any significant change in their health status, and be given continuous support and treatment.
• Use with care in patients with anaemia or bone-marrow suppression. Dosage adjustments may be necessary and it has been recommended that it should not be used if the neutrophil count or haemoglobin value is abnormally low.
• Care is also required in the elderly and in patients with reduced renal or hepatic function who may require reductions in dose. Patients with risk factors for liver disease should be monitored during treatment, particular care may be necessary in obese patients and in women.
• Zidovudine treatment should be stopped if there is symptomatic hyperlactataemia and metabolic or lactic acidosis, progressive hepatomegaly, or a rapid increase in aminotransferase concentrations.
• It should not be given to neonates with hyperbilirubinaemia requiring treatment other than phototherapy or with markedly increased aminotransferase concentrations.
• Women who are in the first trimester of pregnancy may consider delaying initiation of antiretroviral therapy until after 10 – 12 weeks’ gestation. Because of the potential for HIV transmission and the potential for serious adverse effects from zidovudine in nursing infants, women should be instructed not to breast-feed while they are receiving zidovudine.
• Patients should be aware of how they react to drug before driving or operating machinery.