Invirase
Active substance: Saquanavir
Manufacturer: Roche (Switzerland)
Extract from the prescribing information:
"Patients should be informed that INVIRASE is not a cure for HIV infection and that they may continue to acquire illnesses associated with advanced HIV infection, including opportunistic infections."
Known side effects: more immune deficiency
“Hematologic: anemia, bleeding dermal, haemolytic anemia, leucopenia, microhemorrhages, neutropenia, pancytopenia, splenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, thrombocytopenia leading to death”
Leucopenia = Decrease of all white blood cells
Neutropenia = Decrease of neutrophils, a subtype of white blood cells
Pancytopenia = Low levels of all blood cells (i.e. red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow
Thrombocytopenia = Low levels of platelets (blood cells required for coagulation) due to toxic effects of ARVs on blood cell formation in the bone marrow
The above has been extracted from the Invirase prescribing information on the Roche webpages.