This drug has a boxed warning, the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A boxed warning alerts doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
Mavyret may cause reactivation of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) if you were ever exposed to it. This means the virus becomes active and causes symptoms again. While it’s rare, HBV reactivation can lead to liver failure. In extreme cases, it can even be fatal.
Symptoms of HBV reactivation can include:
•
jaundice
• pain in the right side of your belly
• fatigue
• lack of appetite
• fever
Your doctor should test for HBV before prescribing you Mavyret. If you have an active hepatitis B infection, they’ll likely treat it before starting Mavyret.
During treatment with Mavyret, call your doctor right away if you develop symptoms of HBV reactivation.
Mavyret is a brand-name prescription medication that contains the active drugs glecaprevir and pibrentasvir. Glecaprevir belongs to a class of drugs called hepatitis C virus (HCV) protease inhibitors. Pibrentasvir belongs to a class of drugs called HCV NS5A inhibitors. Mavyret is not available in a generic form.
This medication is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat chronic hepatitis C. (Chronic means long term.) It’s approved for use in certain adults and children ages 3 years and older.
In this article, you’ll find information about Mavyret’s dosage and details on how to take the drug. For a comprehensive overview of Mavyret and specifics about people it’s approved for, view this article.
Finding a healthcare professional
If you’re interested in taking Mavyret, search here to find a doctor who might prescribe it.
This article describes typical recommended dosages for Mavyret. These dosages are provided by the drug’s manufacturer.
Your doctor will prescribe the dosage of Mavyret that’s best for you.
This section shows forms, strengths, and commonly recommended dosages for Mavyret.
You should take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you. They’ll recommend the dosage that’s best for your condition.
Mavyret’s forms and strengths
Mavyret comes in the following forms and strengths. You’ll swallow either form.
- Oral tablet: 100 milligrams (mg) glecaprevir/40 mg pibrentasvir (per tablet)
- Oral pellets: 50 mg glecaprevir/20 mg pibrentasvir (per packet)
Typical recommended dosages
Mavyret has typical recommended dosages for treating hepatitis C in certain adults and children.
Mavyret dosage for hepatitis C in adults
The recommended dosage in adults is:
- Dose: 300 mg glecaprevir/120 mg pibrentasvir
- Frequency: once per day
Your doctor will prescribe the dosage of Mavyret that’s right for your condition.
Mavyret dosage for hepatitis C in children
Mavyret is approved for use in children ages 3 years and older. Their recommended dosage will depend on their age and sometimes their weight.
Your child’s doctor will prescribe the dosage of Mavyret that’s right for your child.
Children ages 3 years to less than 12 years
The recommended dosage for children ages 3 years to less than 12 years is based on the child’s weight. This is measured in kilograms (kg). One kg equals about 2.2 pounds (lb).
| Body weight in kg | Approximate body weight in lb | Dosage | How to take the Mavyret dose |
| less than 20 kg | less than 44 lb | 150 mg glecaprevir/60 mg pibrentasvir once per day | pellets: three packets once per day |
| 20 kg to less than 30 kg | 44 lb to less than 66 lb | 200 mg glecaprevir/80 mg pibrentasvir once per day | pellets: four packets once per day |
| 30 kg to less than 45 kg | 66 lb to less than 99 lb | 250 mg glecaprevir/100 mg pibrentasvir once per day | pellets: five packets once per day |
| 45 kg or more | 99 lb or more | 300 mg glecaprevir/120 mg pibrentasvir once per day | tablet: three tablets once per day |
For example, a doctor prescribes Mavyret for an 11-year-old child weighing 40 kg (about 88 lb). The child’s dosage will be 250 mg glecaprevir/100 mg pibrentasvir once per day.
Children ages 12 years and older
The recommended dosage for children ages 12 years and older is:
- Dose: 300 mg glecaprevir/120 mg pibrentasvir
- Frequency: once per day
Length of treatment
Doctors typically don’t prescribe Mavyret as a long-term treatment. Instead, they usually prescribe it for a short time to treat hepatitis C.
The length of treatment with Mavyret varies. One factor considered is the type of hepatitis C being treated. Another factor is whether you’ve had previous treatment for hepatitis C. Still another factor is whether you’ve had a kidney or liver transplant.
- If you’ve never had treatment for hepatitis C: You’ll likely take Mavyret for 8 weeks.
- If you’ve had previous treatment for hepatitis C: You’ll likely take Mavyret for 8 to 16 weeks. However, this could vary based on several factors, such as:
- the type of hepatitis C you have
- the type of treatment or treatments you’ve had before for hepatitis C
- whether or not you have cirrhosis
- If you’ve had a kidney or liver transplant: Your doctor may recommend an alternative length of treatment. If you’ve had a kidney or liver transplant, talk with your doctor before starting Mavyret treatment.
Your doctor can discuss these and other factors with you. Additionally, they can discuss how these factors help determine your length of treatment.
The common questions below relate to Mavyret’s dosage.
What is Mavyret’s dosing schedule?
The approved dosing guidelines for Mavyret note to take the drug once per day to treat hepatitis C.
To learn more about these dosing instructions, see the “Mavyret: Dosage” section above. You can also ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Is Mavyret approved to treat anxiety? If so, what is Mavyret’s dosage for anxiety?
No, Mavyret is not approved to treat anxiety. However, some doctors prescribe the drug off-label for this purpose. With off-label use, a drug is prescribed to treat a condition other than what it is approved to treat.
To learn more about off-label uses for Mavyret, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can also discuss possible dosages for these uses.
Your doctor will consider several factors when prescribing the dosage for Mavyret. These factors include:
- whether you’ve previously been treated for hepatitis C
- the type of treatment or treatments you’ve had before for hepatitis C
- the type of hepatitis C Mavyret will be treating
- age, in some children taking the drug
- body weight, in some children taking the drug
Mavyret comes as an oral tablet and pellets. You’ll swallow either form. You should take each dose of Mavyret with food.
Take Mavyret pellets with food that sticks to a spoon. The drug’s manufacturer suggests foods such as:
- peanut butter
- chocolate hazelnut spread
- Greek yogurt
- thick jam
To take the pellets:
1. Put the food in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle the entire contents of each packet of pellets onto the food. (Check to make sure all the pellets are emptied from each packet.)
3. Gently mix the pellets thoroughly with the food.
4. Swallow the entire mixture within 15 minutes of preparing it. Do not chew.
Your doctor may recommend that you take Mavyret tablets or pellets at the same time each day. Doing so will help maintain a consistent amount of the drug in your body. This can help Mavyret work effectively.
You should not crush, split, or chew Mavyret tablets or pellets. If you have difficulty swallowing tablets, view this article. It provides suggestions on how to take this form of medication. Also, talk with your doctor or pharmacist about taking your medication. They may also suggest switching from Mavyret tablets to the oral pellets.
If you find it challenging to read the label on your prescription, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Certain pharmacies provide medication labels with large print or braille. They may also offer labels containing a scannable code that your smartphone can convert from text to speech. If your pharmacy doesn’t provide these choices, your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that does.
If it’s difficult for you to open medication bottles, ask your pharmacist if they can dispense Mavyret in an easy-open container. They also may recommend ways to help make it easier to open the bottles.
If you miss a dose of Mavyret, take it as soon as you remember. However, if your next dose is due in the next 6 hours, skip the missed dose. Then, take your next dose at the scheduled time. Do not take more than one dose of Mavyret at a time.
Taking Mavyret as scheduled and prescribed is crucial to helping it treat your hepatitis C. This includes taking your dose daily and not missing doses. It also includes taking Mavyret as long as your doctor has prescribed and not stopping treatment early.
View these medication reminder options to help avoid missing doses. You could also set an alarm or download a reminder app on your phone.
For some drugs, taking more than the recommended dosage may lead to unwanted side effects or overdose. Do not take more Mavyret than your doctor prescribes.
What to do if you take too much Mavyret
Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much of this drug. Also, you can call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 800-222-1222 or use its online tool. However, if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or a local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist for additional information about Mavyret’s dosage. Keep in mind that the dosages presented in this article are typical dosages from the drug’s manufacturer. Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Mavyret that’s right for you and your condition. Always follow the dosage that your doctor prescribes for you.
As with any medications you’re taking, do not change your Mavyret dosage without a recommendation from your doctor.
In addition to discussing Mavyret with your doctor, you may find the following articles helpful in learning more.
- Overview of Mavyret. For comprehensive details on Mavyret, see this article.
- Drug comparison. To learn how Mavyret compares with Epclusa, read this article.
- Information on side effects. If you’d like to know about possible side effects of Mavyret, view this article.
- Cost and savings options. For information about Mavyret’s cost and ways to save on your prescription, read this article.
- Details about interactions. If you want to find out about possible interactions with Mavyret, view this article.
- Details about hepatitis C. To learn more about hepatitis C, which Mavyret is used to treat, see this article.
Disclaimer: Healthgrades has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.
