What is Nevirapine?

What is Nevirapine?
Nevirapine is a medicine which decreases the transmission of HIV from an HIV infected mother to the baby. It is a fast acting and potent antiretroviral, which takes a significant amount of time to be eliminated from the body. It is a valuable option in reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, since it is absorbed quickly into the body and passed readily to the placenta. Only a limited dose is required for effectiveness, and it remains active in the body of both the mother and the baby for a few days after birth.

Is Nevirapine safe?
When Nevirapine is used for short-course mother-to-child transmission prevention as described above, it is safe. Thousands of women and babies have taken Nevirapine as part of mother-to-child transmission prevention programmes in many parts of the world, including Uganda, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Europe.

If the virus has recently entered the baby's bloodstream, then the high levels of antiretroviral medicine can prevent the virus from spreading.