Molnupiravir
Molnupiravir is an antiviral medication used to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at high risk of serious illness, hospitalization, or death.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 1 clinical label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Molnupiravir (Lagevrio) is an oral antiviral for mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in high-risk adults; it forces the virus into so many copying errors that it can no longer multiply, and it is usually a backup when other COVID-19 treatments are not available or suitable. Most people tolerate the short course well, and diarrhea, nausea or dizziness are what people notice most. Its boxed warning limits it to that emergency-use role and flags pregnancy, since animal studies showed birth defects and fetal loss, so it is not recommended in pregnancy or for anyone under 18. Start it within 5 days of symptoms and finish all 5 days.
Clinical pearls
- Take it with or without food, and if a dose is over 10 hours late, skip it instead of doubling.
- If you could become pregnant, use effective birth control and avoid breastfeeding during treatment and for 4 days afterward.
- Men with partners who could become pregnant should use contraception during treatment and for at least 3 months afterward.
- Drug interaction studies are incomplete, so make sure your prescriber has your full medicine list before you start.
⚠️ FDA Boxed Warning — the FDA’s strongest safety alert ▾
Lagevrio is authorized for emergency use only — it is not a fully FDA-approved drug. It is available only for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of serious illness and for whom other approved treatments are not an option. Based on animal studies, Lagevrio may harm an unborn baby — do not use it during pregnancy unless your doctor has determined the benefits outweigh the risks. Women who can become pregnant must use effective birth control during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose. Men who could father a child should use contraception during treatment and for at least 3 months after stopping. A pregnancy registry exists to track outcomes; your doctor can provide details. Your prescriber is required to give you a Fact Sheet explaining the benefits and risks before you start this medication.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Molnupiravir, written from its FDA label.
What Molnupiravir is used for
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Molnupiravir (brand name Lagevrio) is an antiviral authorized under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for one specific use:
- Lagevrio is authorized to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults (18 and older) who are at high risk of progressing to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death, and for whom other FDA-approved or authorized COVID-19 treatments are not accessible or clinically appropriate
- Treatment must begin within 5 days of symptom onset
- Lagevrio is not authorized for use longer than 5 consecutive days
- Lagevrio is not authorized for patients under 18 years of age
How Molnupiravir works
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Molnupiravir is a prodrug — your body breaks it down into its active form, a compound called NHC (a cytidine nucleoside analogue). NHC enters cells and gets converted into a form that mimics one of the building blocks the COVID-19 virus uses to copy its genetic material. When the virus tries to replicate, it incorporates this faulty building block, causing errors to accumulate in its genetic code until it can no longer function. This mechanism is known as viral error catastrophe or viral lethal mutagenesis.
In lab studies, NHC showed activity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. No amino acid changes linked to resistance to NHC were identified in Phase 2 clinical trials of Lagevrio, and resistance studies with related coronaviruses suggest a low likelihood of resistance developing.
Molnupiravir dosage
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Lagevrio comes as capsules taken by mouth twice daily — every 12 hours — for 5 days. They can be taken with or without food, though food may slightly reduce peak drug levels without affecting overall absorption. The full 5-day course should be completed to maximize viral clearance, even if you feel better sooner.
- If you miss a dose and it has been less than 10 hours since your usual time, take it as soon as you remember and continue your normal schedule
- If it has been more than 10 hours, skip the missed dose and take the next one at your regular time — never double up
- For patients who cannot swallow capsules, Lagevrio capsules can be opened and mixed with water for administration through certain feeding tubes — follow your healthcare provider's specific instructions
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Molnupiravir prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Adult patients (emergency use of LAGEVRIO for COVID-19)
- 800 mg (four 200 mg capsules) taken orally every 12 hours for 5 days, with or without food
- Maximum: Not authorized for use for longer than 5 consecutive days
- No dosage adjustment recommended based on renal or hepatic impairment or in geriatric patients
- Patients receiving via NG, OG or G tubes 12F or larger, or GJ tubes 14F or larger
- Open four (4) capsules into a clean container with a lid, add 40 mL of water, shake for 3 minutes, flush tube with 5 mL of water, administer entire contents immediately through the tube (gastric port if GJ tube)
- If contents remain, add 10 mL of water, mix and administer
- Flush tube with 5 mL of water twice (10 mL total) afterward
- Capsule contents may not dissolve completely; visible undissolved particulates are acceptable; do not keep mixture for future use
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION 2.1 Dosage for Emergency Use of LAGEVRIO in Adult Patients The dosage in adult patients is 800 mg (four 200 mg capsules) taken orally every 12 hours for 5 days, with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Take LAGEVRIO as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19 has been made, and within 5 days of symptom onset [see Emergency Use Authorization (1) and Clinical Studies (14) ] . Completion of the full 5-day treatment course and continued isolation in accordance with public health recommendations are important to maximize viral clearance and minimize transmission of SARS-CoV-2 [see Patient Counseling Information (17) ] . LAGEVRIO is not authorized for use for longer than 5 consecutive days because the safety and efficacy have not been established. If the patient misses a dose of LAGEVRIO within 10 hours of the time it is usually taken, the patient should take it as soon as possible and resume the normal dosing schedule. If the patient misses a dose by more than 10 hours, the patient should not take the missed dose and instead take the next dose at the regularly scheduled time. The patient should not double the dose to make up for a missed dose. Should a patient require hospitalization after starting treatment with LAGEVRIO, the patient may complete the full 5 day treatment course per the healthcare provider’s discretion. 2.2 Dosage Adjustments in Specific Populations No dosage adjustment is recommended based on renal or hepatic impairment or in geriatric patients [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5 , 8.6 , 8.7) ] . 2.3 Administration via Nasogastric (NG), Orogastric (OG) and Gastrostomy (G) Tubes that are 12F or Larger or via Gastrojejunostomy (GJ) Tubes that are 14F or Larger Open four (4) capsules and transfer contents into a clean container with a lid. Add 40 mL of water to the container. Put the lid on the container and shake to mix the capsule contents and water thoroughly for 3 minutes. NOTE : Capsule contents may not dissolve completely. The prepared mixture may have visible undissolved particulates and are acceptable for administration. Flush the tube with 5 mL of water prior to administration. Using an appropriate syringe, draw up the entire contents from the container and administer immediately through the tube. If using a GJ tube, administer through the gastric port.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Molnupiravir side effects
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In the main Phase 3 clinical trial (MOVe-OUT), Lagevrio was generally well tolerated, with most serious adverse events being COVID-19 related rather than drug related. Reported side effects included:
Common side effects
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Dizziness
When to get medical help
- Signs of a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis): hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the face, lips, or throat — stop taking it and get emergency help immediately
- Any new or unusual symptoms that concern you while on treatment — contact your healthcare provider right away
- If you are pregnant or become pregnant during treatment — notify your doctor immediately, as Lagevrio may harm the developing baby
Only 1% of people taking Lagevrio stopped treatment due to a side effect. Serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have been reported — if you develop hives, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face or throat, stop taking Lagevrio and get emergency help immediately. Because data on Lagevrio are still limited, unexpected side effects may emerge with wider use.
Molnupiravir warnings and precautions
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- Fetal harm: Lagevrio may cause birth defects or fetal loss based on animal studies. It is not recommended during pregnancy. Women who can become pregnant must use reliable contraception during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose. Men should use contraception for at least 3 months after stopping.
- Not for use under 18: Lagevrio may damage growing bone and cartilage and is not authorized for patients under 18 years of age.
- Serious allergic reactions: Anaphylaxis has been reported. Stop the medication and seek emergency care immediately if you have signs of a severe allergic reaction.
- Limited safety data: Because Lagevrio is authorized under emergency use and not fully approved, the complete safety profile is still being established. Serious and unexpected side effects may occur that have not yet been identified.
- Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment or for 4 days after the last dose, as it is unknown whether the drug passes into breast milk and affects the infant.
Molnupiravir interactions
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Based on available data, no drug interactions with Lagevrio have been identified — however, clinical drug interaction studies have not been completed, including with other COVID-19 treatments.
- Lab studies suggest molnupiravir and its active metabolite NHC do not significantly interfere with most common drug-metabolizing enzymes (such as the CYP450 system) or major drug transporters — meaning it is unlikely to raise or lower levels of most other medications
- No interaction studies with other mild-to-moderate COVID-19 treatments have been conducted, so caution is advised and you should tell your doctor about all medications you are taking
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Molnupiravir prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
No drug interactions have been identified based on the limited available data on the emergency use of LAGEVRIO authorized under this EUA. No clinical drug-drug interaction trials of LAGEVRIO with concomitant medications, including other treatments for mild-to-moderate COVID-19, have been conducted [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS No drug interactions have been identified based on the limited available data on the emergency use of LAGEVRIO authorized under this EUA. No clinical drug-drug interaction trials of LAGEVRIO with concomitant medications, including other treatments for mild-to-moderate COVID-19, have been conducted [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Molnupiravir
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- Pregnancy: Do not take Lagevrio if you are pregnant unless your doctor has determined the benefits outweigh the risks — animal studies show it can cause serious fetal harm. Pregnancy testing may be required before starting.
- Women who could become pregnant: Use effective contraception during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose.
- Men who could father a child: Use reliable contraception during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose, due to a theoretical risk based on how the drug works.
- Breastfeeding: Do not breastfeed during treatment or for 4 days after stopping. Consider pumping and discarding milk during this time.
- Children and teenagers: Lagevrio is not authorized for anyone under 18 — it may affect bone and cartilage development.
- Older adults: No dose adjustment is needed based on age; safety and tolerability were similar in patients 65 and older compared to younger patients.
- Kidney problems: No dose adjustment is needed for mild or moderate kidney impairment. Lagevrio has not been fully studied in severe kidney disease or patients on dialysis, but significant effects on drug levels are not expected.
- Liver problems: No dose adjustment is recommended; the liver is not considered a major route of elimination for Lagevrio's active metabolite.
Molnupiravir overdose
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There is no reported human experience with a Lagevrio overdose. If an overdose is suspected, supportive care and monitoring of clinical status are recommended. Hemodialysis (kidney dialysis) is not expected to meaningfully remove the active drug from the body.
What Molnupiravir does in the body
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The precise relationship between the levels of NHC and its active form (NHC-TP) inside cells and the degree of antiviral effect has not been established through clinical studies. The drug's antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 has been demonstrated in lab cell culture assays and in animal infection models, and sequence analysis of the virus in treated patients supports the proposed mechanism of viral error accumulation.
How your body processes Molnupiravir
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After you take molnupiravir by mouth, it is rapidly broken down into its active metabolite, NHC, which reaches peak blood levels in about 1.5 hours. Food can reduce peak NHC levels by about 35% but does not change the overall amount absorbed, so it can be taken with or without food. NHC has a short effective half-life of about 3.3 hours and is cleared mainly through normal cellular metabolism — the same pathways the body uses to process its own natural building blocks — rather than through the kidneys or liver. Very little of the drug is excreted unchanged in the urine.
How to store Molnupiravir
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Store LAGEVRIO capsules at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F) .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Molnupiravir
17 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Molnupiravir in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 1
- Moderate · 7
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Molnupiravir: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Molnupiravir — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly is Lagevrio and why did my doctor prescribe it?
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How do I take it, and what happens if I miss a dose?
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What side effects should I expect, and when should I call my doctor?
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I'm a woman of childbearing age — is there anything special I need to know?
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Does Lagevrio interact with my other medications?
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Can my teenager take this if they get COVID-19?
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Is Molnupiravir available over the counter?
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When was Molnupiravir first available?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Molnupiravir on HelloPharmacist
Molnupiravir forms and strengths (how it comes)
Molnupiravir is available in 1 form. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Molnupiravir inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Capsule
How this form is used
- Lagevrio capsules are authorized to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults at high risk of severe illness, hospitalization, or death when other FDA-approved options are not accessible or appropriate
- Lagevrio capsules are taken by mouth every 12 hours for 5 days, with or without food
- Lagevrio treatment should begin as soon as possible after a COVID-19 diagnosis and within 5 days of symptom onset
- Lagevrio capsules may be opened and mixed with water for administration through a feeding tube (12F or larger nasogastric, orogastric, or gastrostomy tube, or 14F or larger gastrojejunostomy tube) — follow your healthcare provider's instructions carefully
- If you miss a Lagevrio dose by more than 10 hours, skip it and take your next dose at the scheduled time — never double up
Molnupiravir on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Molnupiravir appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
The FDA lists Molnupiravir products, mostly as capsule; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 2010. Brand names on the directory include Lagevrio; the rest are generics.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (11) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
How widely Molnupiravir is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Molnupiravir is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Molnupiravir is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Molnupiravir prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Molnupiravir ranks #1,348 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 16% of them.
Utilization by Molnupiravir product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
molnupiravir 200 MG Oral Capsule
Summed across the 1 of 6 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 2587906
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Molnupiravir, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 1 of 6 listed Molnupiravir NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Molnupiravir side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Molnupiravir — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Molnupiravir in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Molnupiravir FDA approval history
How Molnupiravir went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Molnupiravir recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Molnupiravir recalls since July 2021.
✅No Molnupiravir recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 2587901 1 dose form · 1 strength
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Dose form (SCDF) Oral Capsule RxCUI 2587905In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 200 MGRxCUI 2587906
Look up RxCUI 2587901 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Molnupiravir supply and shortage status
Whether Molnupiravir is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Molnupiravir brand names
Molnupiravir is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Lagevrio. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Molnupiravir drug class (RxNorm)
Molnupiravir belongs to the Nucleosides and nucleotides excl. reverse transcriptase inhibitors class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Molnupiravir page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →