HIV Medication Names: A Complete List of Antiretrovirals by Class (Brand and Generic)

If you have just been handed an HIV prescription, or you are trying to make sense of a friend’s, the names can feel like a code. One tablet can carry a brand name on the box, a long chemical name on the label, and a three-letter short form your clinic writes in your notes, like TAF or DTG. It is the same medicine every time.

This guide puts the names in one place. We have grouped them the way doctors and pharmacists think about them: by drug class, which simply means by the step in HIV’s life that each medicine blocks. The list follows the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals as summarised by the US National Institutes of Health in September 2026¹, with notes on names you will see in the UK, Europe, Australia and elsewhere.

How HIV medicines are grouped

HIV cannot copy itself on its own. It has to get inside a type of white blood cell called a CD4 cell, turn its genetic material into a form the cell can read, slot that into the cell’s own DNA, and then build new virus particles. Each class of HIV medicine jams one of those steps.

That is why treatment is almost never a single drug. A standard regimen uses two or three medicines from at least two different classes². Think of it as locking more than one door: if the virus finds a way round one lock, the others still hold. These days the two or three medicines are very often combined into one tablet taken once a day.

You will also see short codes everywhere. They are just abbreviations, and once you know a few, prescriptions get much easier to read. We have put them in brackets below.

The “backbone” medicines (NRTIs)

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, or NRTIs, stop HIV turning its genetic material into DNA. Most regimens contain two of them, which is why clinicians call them the backbone.

The two tenofovirs confuse a lot of people. They deliver the same active drug, but TAF gets more of it into cells at a much lower dose. We explain the practical difference in Truvada vs Descovy.

Integrase inhibitors: the anchor of most modern regimens

Integrase inhibitors stop HIV stitching itself into the cell’s DNA. They work quickly, are generally well tolerated, and the virus finds it hard to become resistant to the newer ones. That is why guidelines in the US, the UK and Europe most often recommend starting with a regimen built around one of them²⁵⁶.

• Dolutegravir (DTG), brand Tivicay. Used on its own alongside two backbone drugs, and inside Dovato, Triumeq, Juluca and the generic three-in-one pill known as TLD. Licensed generics are made in India, for example Instgra 50 mg. Read more in your first 90 days on dolutegravir.
• Bictegravir (BIC). You will only find it inside combination pills: Biktarvy and, since August 2026 in the US, Bixlenvo¹. See Biktarvy explained.
• Raltegravir (RAL), brand Isentress. The first of the class. Taken once or twice a day depending on the formulation.
• Cabotegravir (CAB). Comes as Vocabria tablets, as part of the Cabenuva long-acting injection for treatment, and as Apretude, an injection for HIV prevention.
• Elvitegravir (EVG). Only found in older combination pills (Genvoya, Stribild) and needs a “booster” (see below).

NNRTIs

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors block the same enzyme as the backbone drugs, but in a different way. They were the mainstay of treatment for many years and are still used widely around the world.

• Efavirenz (EFV), original brand Sustiva or Stocrin. The brand has been discontinued in the US but generic versions remain available¹. It is known for vivid dreams and sleep problems in the first few weeks.
• Nevirapine (NVP), original brand Viramune, also now generic-only in the US.
• Rilpivirine (RPV), brand Edurant. Part of Odefsey, Juluca, Complera (called Eviplera in the UK and Europe) and the Cabenuva injection.
• Doravirine (DOR), brand Pifeltro. Also inside Delstrigo and, since April 2026 in the US, Idvynso¹.
• Etravirine (ETR), brand Intelence. Mostly used when other options have stopped working.

Protease inhibitors and boosters

Protease inhibitors stop new virus particles from maturing, so the copies that do get made cannot infect other cells. They are hard for HIV to resist, which makes them a common choice when someone’s virus has picked up resistance to other drugs.

• Darunavir (DRV), brand Prezista. Also inside Prezcobix and Symtuza.
• Atazanavir (ATV), brand Reyataz. Also inside Evotaz.
• Lopinavir with ritonavir (LPV/r), brand Kaletra.

Protease inhibitors are nearly always given with a booster: a small dose of ritonavir (brand Norvir) or cobicistat. A booster does not fight HIV itself. It slows down the liver enzymes that clear the main drug, so the main drug stays in your blood longer. The catch is that boosters do the same to many other medicines, including some statins, steroid inhalers and erection tablets, so always mention a boosted regimen to any doctor or pharmacist who prescribes you something new⁷.

Newer and less common classes

These medicines are usually kept for people whose virus has become resistant to several of the drugs above, or for long-acting options.

• Lenacapavir (LEN), a capsid inhibitor. Given as an injection every six months. Sunlenca is the brand for treatment; Yeztugo, approved in the US in June 2025, is the brand for prevention¹.
• Fostemsavir (Rukobia), an attachment inhibitor.
• Maraviroc (Selzentry in the US, Celsentri in the UK and Europe), which blocks one of the doorways HIV uses to enter cells. A blood test has to show your virus uses that doorway first.
• Ibalizumab (Trogarzo), an antibody given by drip every two weeks.

Single-tablet regimens: what is inside each box

Most people on HIV treatment today take one of these. Each one is a complete regimen, so it is not taken with other HIV medicines unless a doctor specifically says so. The two newest, Idvynso and Bixlenvo, are a special case: they are approved only for adults whose viral load is already undetectable and who are switching from another regimen, not for people starting treatment¹⁰¹¹.

TLD deserves a word of its own. It is not sold under a big brand name, but it is one of the most widely taken HIV pills in the world, because the World Health Organization recommends dolutegravir-based treatment, with TLD as the usual choice, as the preferred first option for most adults³⁴.

If you want to compare the three most talked-about pills, see our guides to generic Biktarvy, generic Dovato and generic Triumeq.

Why one medicine can have so many names

Every medicine has one official generic name, such as dolutegravir. The company that invented it gives it a brand name, and that brand can differ between countries: Complera in the US is Eviplera in Europe, Selzentry is Celsentri. Then, once licensed generic makers start producing it, each of them picks its own brand name too.

That is why the same emtricitabine and tenofovir DF tablet can be sold as Truvada, as Tenvir-EM, or under several other names, and why the same ingredients as Biktarvy appear in generic packs such as Taffic. Many of these generics are made in India under licences from the original manufacturers.

The simple rule: when you compare two packs, ignore the brand and read the active ingredients and the strength. If those match, it is the same medicine. If you are not sure, ask a pharmacist before you switch.

Which of these medicines are used for prevention?

Only a few HIV medicines are approved to prevent HIV in people who do not have it. Daily PrEP tablets contain emtricitabine with tenofovir DF (Truvada and its generics) or emtricitabine with tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy). There are also long-acting PrEP injections: cabotegravir (Apretude) and lenacapavir (Yeztugo)⁸. Our PrEP guide covers how PrEP works and what it costs.

Treatment pills such as Biktarvy, Dovato or Triumeq are not approved as PrEP. Some treatment medicines, such as Biktarvy, or dolutegravir taken with emtricitabine and tenofovir, are used for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)⁹. PEP is an emergency 28-day course after a possible exposure. It has to start within 72 hours and is arranged through a clinic or emergency department, not ordered online.

Frequently asked questions

What is the newest HIV medication?

As of September 2026, the most recent US approvals were Bixlenvo (bictegravir with lenacapavir), approved in August 2026, and Idvynso (doravirine with islatravir), approved in April 2026. Both are for adults who are already undetectable and want to switch, not for starting treatment. New medicines arrive every year or two, so check the NIH list or ask your clinic for the latest.

Which medicine is best for HIV?

There is no single best one. Guidelines list several preferred options, most of them one pill a day built around an integrase inhibitor, such as Biktarvy, Dovato or dolutegravir-based TLD. Which one suits you depends on your blood tests, whether you have hepatitis B, your kidneys, pregnancy plans and the other medicines you take.

What is the most used HIV drug?

Worldwide, it is dolutegravir, mostly taken as the generic TLD tablet, because the World Health Organization recommends it as the preferred first treatment for most adults. In the US and Europe, one-pill regimens such as Biktarvy and Dovato are among the most common choices.

What is TLD?

TLD is a once-daily generic tablet that combines tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, lamivudine and dolutegravir. It is not a brand, and it is the World Health Organization’s preferred first treatment for most adults with HIV.

Which HIV medicines are just one pill a day?

Most modern regimens are. Biktarvy, Dovato, Triumeq, TLD, Juluca, Odefsey, Delstrigo, Symtuza and Genvoya are all single tablets taken once a day. Your clinician picks one based on your blood tests, any other conditions such as hepatitis B, and the other medicines you take.

Is dolutegravir available as a generic?

Yes. Generic dolutegravir is made by several licensed manufacturers, mainly in India, and is used widely around the world, both on its own and inside TLD. Whether a generic is sold in your own country depends on local patents and approvals.

What does “boosted” mean on my prescription?

It means your regimen includes ritonavir or cobicistat, which raise the level of another HIV medicine in your blood. Boosters can also raise the levels of many non-HIV medicines, so make sure every prescriber knows you take one.

Sources & references

1. National Institutes of Health (HIVinfo). FDA-Approved HIV Medicines. Last reviewed 4 September 2026.
2. National Institutes of Health (HIVinfo). Starting an HIV Treatment Regimen.
3. World Health Organization. Consolidated guidelines on HIV prevention, testing, treatment, service delivery and monitoring. 2021.
4. World Health Organization. Update of recommendations on first- and second-line antiretroviral regimens. 2019.
5. British HIV Association (BHIVA). Clinical guidelines.
6. European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS). EACS Guidelines.
7. National Institutes of Health (HIVinfo). What is a Drug Interaction?
8. HIV.gov. Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
9. HIV.gov. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP).
10. US National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. Idvynso (doravirine and islatravir) prescribing information.
11. US National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. Bixlenvo (bictegravir and lenacapavir) prescribing information.

Related reading

• Biktarvy explained: inside the leading single-tablet regimen
• Dolutegravir-based treatment: your first 90 days
• Truvada vs Descovy: the difference is which tenofovir
• All HIV and PrEP medicines

This content is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. It does not replace a consultation with a clinician who knows your history and test results. Never start, stop or change HIV medicine without talking to your HIV team. Used as prescribed by a licensed medical professional.