Moxidectin
Moxidectin is an antiparasitic medication used to treat onchocerciasis (river blindness), an infection caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus.
🧬 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 →
📖 Moxidectin: Patient Information Guide
A plain-language walkthrough of Moxidectin — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.
🎯What it's used for▾
Moxidectin is an antiparasitic drug approved for one specific infection:
- Onchocerciasis (river blindness) — an infection caused by the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus, approved for adults and pediatric patients aged 4 years and older weighing at least 13 kg. Moxidectin Tablets treat the larval stage of the parasite (microfilariae) but do not kill adult worms. Follow-up is advised after treatment. Repeat dosing for this infection has not been studied.
⚙️How it works▾
Moxidectin is a macrocyclic lactone — a class of antiparasitic agents. It works by interfering with the nervous system of the immature parasitic larvae (Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae), impairing their ability to survive. This reduces the larvae circulating in the body, which helps control the infection and its complications. It does not affect the adult worms, which is why ongoing medical follow-up after treatment is necessary.
💊How it's taken▾
Moxidectin is taken by mouth as a single dose — you don't take it daily or on a continuing schedule. The number of tablets depends on body weight, especially for children. It can be taken with or without food, though eating a high-fat meal alongside it does increase how much of the drug your body absorbs. Always follow your prescriber's exact instructions. Because this is a one-time dose, there is no missed-dose routine — contact your prescriber if you have questions about timing.
🤒Side effects — in detail▾
Most side effects after Moxidectin are tied to the Mazzotti reaction — your body's immune response to dying parasite larvae — and typically appear and resolve within the first week after treatment:
- Itching (pruritus)
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pain
- Rash or hives
- Fever and chills
- Rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Abdominal pain
- Dizziness or low blood pressure, especially when standing
- Eye irritation, eye pain, or temporary vision changes
- Diarrhea or stomach upset (more common in children in one study)
Serious reactions — including an inability to stand due to blood pressure drops, significant liver enzyme elevations, or neurological symptoms — require prompt medical attention. See the warnings section for details.
⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
- Mazzotti reaction: As the parasite larvae die off, your immune system may trigger skin, eye, and body-wide reactions including itching, rash, fever, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and eye discomfort. These typically resolve within a week. Patients with higher parasite loads may have more intense reactions.
- Orthostatic hypotension (dizziness on standing): About 5% of patients experience significant drops in blood pressure when standing up, sometimes to the point of being unable to stand. If this happens, lie down until it passes. This most commonly occurs on Days 1 and 2 after treatment.
- Loa loa co-infection — serious brain risk: People infected with both O. volvulus and Loa loa (a different parasite found in parts of Africa) may develop serious or fatal brain swelling (encephalopathy) after treatment. Screening for Loa loa before treatment is strongly recommended for anyone who has traveled or lived in Loa loa-endemic areas.
- Severe skin swelling (sowda): Patients with hyper-reactive onchodermatitis (sowda) are at higher risk of severe swelling and worsening skin disease after treatment.
- Liver changes: Elevated liver enzymes and bilirubin (a marker of liver function) occurred more often in moxidectin-treated patients than in comparison groups. These were mostly temporary, but monitoring may be appropriate.
🔀What it interacts with▾
Based on clinical and laboratory studies, Moxidectin has a low potential for drug interactions:
- CYP3A4 substrates (a broad class of common drugs): A clinical study showed moxidectin does not meaningfully affect the levels of midazolam, a representative CYP3A4 drug — so co-administration with CYP3A4 substrates is considered acceptable.
- CYP enzymes and other drug-processing pathways: Lab studies show moxidectin is not broken down by CYP enzymes, does not inhibit them, and is not a substrate for UGT enzymes or P-glycoprotein — meaning it is unlikely to cause significant interactions through these common pathways.
This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
📋Before taking it▾
- Loa loa exposure: If you have lived in or traveled to areas where Loa loa is endemic (parts of Central and West Africa), tell your doctor before taking moxidectin — you should be screened for that infection first due to the risk of serious brain complications.
- Sowda (hyper-reactive skin disease): Let your doctor know if you have this severe form of onchocerciasis-related skin disease, as you may be at higher risk of severe swelling and skin worsening.
- Pregnancy: There are insufficient human data to confirm safety in pregnancy. Animal studies showed developmental effects at high doses, and effects on nursing offspring were seen at doses close to the human dose. Discuss the risks with your doctor.
- Breastfeeding: Moxidectin passes into breast milk. Because of serious harm seen in nursing animal offspring, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment or for 7 days after the dose.
- Children under 4 or weighing less than 13 kg: Safety and effectiveness have not been established in this group.
- Severe kidney disease: The safety of moxidectin in patients with severe renal impairment or end-stage kidney disease is unknown. Mild-to-moderate kidney disease does not appear to significantly affect drug levels.
- Liver disease: How liver impairment affects moxidectin processing in the body is unknown — discuss this with your doctor if applicable.
- Older adults (65+): Clinical studies included patients over 65 with no notable differences in safety or effectiveness, though individual sensitivity cannot be completely ruled out.
🚑If you take too much▾
There is no specific antidote if too much moxidectin is taken. If an overdose occurs, medical providers will monitor for signs of toxicity and provide supportive care — this may include fluids, monitoring vital signs, respiratory support, and treatment for low blood pressure if needed. Contact a poison control center or seek emergency care right away.
📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾
At doses well above the approved level (4.5 times the recommended dose), moxidectin does not cause a meaningful prolongation of the QT interval — the heart's electrical reset time — meaning it does not appear to carry significant heart rhythm risk at therapeutic doses. Its main measurable effects in the body are immune and inflammatory reactions driven by the death of parasite larvae (the Mazzotti reaction), including changes in blood cell counts, blood pressure, and heart rate, which typically resolve within the first week after treatment.
🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾
After a single oral dose, moxidectin is absorbed and reaches peak blood levels in about 4 hours. Eating a high-fat meal increases the amount absorbed by roughly one-third compared to taking it on an empty stomach. Moxidectin has an exceptionally long half-life — about 23 days in patients with onchocerciasis — meaning it stays in the body for a prolonged period after a single dose. It is highly bound to proteins in the blood (nearly 100%) and is widely distributed throughout the body. The drug is only minimally metabolized by the liver, and very little is eliminated unchanged through the kidneys or feces, with renal elimination being negligible.
📦How to store it▾
Store below 30°C (86°F). Protect from light.
📄 Written from Moxidectin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Moxidectin
17 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Moxidectin 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.
🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Moxidectin — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What exactly does moxidectin treat, and how does it work? ▾
Do I take this every day, or is it a one-time thing? ▾
What side effects should I expect after taking it? ▾
Is there anything serious I should watch for and call my doctor about? ▾
Can I take this if I'm pregnant or breastfeeding? ▾
Are there any medications or foods I need to avoid with moxidectin? ▾
Is Moxidectin available over the counter? ▾
When was Moxidectin first available? ▾
Who makes Moxidectin? ▾
💬 Answers drafted from Moxidectin’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →
🧰 Keep exploring
💊 How Moxidectin comes
Moxidectin 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.
Tablet
How this form is used
- Moxidectin Tablets are used to treat onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca volvulus in adults and in children aged 4 years and older weighing at least 13 kg
- Moxidectin Tablets target immature parasite larvae (microfilariae) but do not kill adult O. volvulus worms
- Moxidectin Tablets are taken as a single oral dose — the number of tablets depends on body weight, particularly in children
- Moxidectin Tablets can be taken with or without food; taking with a high-fat meal increases drug absorption, so follow your prescriber's guidance
- If you feel dizzy or light-headed after taking Moxidectin Tablets, lie down until symptoms pass
- Follow-up evaluation after taking Moxidectin Tablets is advised because the medication does not eliminate adult worms
📊 Moxidectin across the U.S. market
How Moxidectin 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.
Also listed with the FDA, not a patient dose form: Powder (9) — bulk drug substance sold to compounders/manufacturers and multi-item kits. These aren’t counted in the dose-form total above.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
🔍 Compare Moxidectin products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Moxidectin — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Tablet | ||||
| 2 mg | Oral | Medicines Development for Global Health × 4 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 💊Bulk drug substance | ||||
| 1 kg/kg | — | Chongqing Daxin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Hisun Pharmaceutical (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Jetpharma | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Jiangsu Willing Bio-Tech Co., Ltd × 2 listings | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Livzon Group Fuzhou Fuxing Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. × 2 listings | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Livzon New North River Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. | BULK INGREDIENT FOR HUMAN PRESCRIPTION COMPOUNDING | View NDC → |
| 1 kg/kg | — | Zoetis Inc. | BULK INGREDIENT | View NDC → |
Showing 13 of 13 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 13 Moxidectin NDCs →
📈 What people report — real-world data (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 Moxidectin — 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 Moxidectin 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.
🏛️ The road to your pharmacy
How Moxidectin went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
🚨 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.
Source: openFDA drug enforcement (recall) reports.
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 1047072 6 dose forms · 7 strengths
-
Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Solution RxCUI 1085523No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 10 MG/MLRxCUI 1085524 -
Dose form (SCDF) Injectable Suspension RxCUI 1551500No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 3.4 MG/MLRxCUI 155150110 MG/MLRxCUI 2178774 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Gel RxCUI 1367283No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 0.02 MG/MGRxCUI 1367284 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Solution RxCUI 1047081No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 1 MG/MLRxCUI 1047082 -
Dose form (SCDF) Oral Tablet RxCUI 2049014In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 2 MGRxCUI 2049015 -
Dose form (SCDF) Topical Solution RxCUI 1047074No current FDA listingClinical drug / strength (SCD) 5 MG/MLRxCUI 1047075
Look up RxCUI 1047072 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.
📦 Supply & shortage status
Whether Moxidectin 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.
🏷️ Sold under these brand names
🏭 Manufacturers & labelers
RxNorm drug class
Moxidectin belongs to the Other antinematodals 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.
🔬 Where this comes from
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 we combine label and product data
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 1 FDA-filed SPL label set within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.
For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. Medicines Development for Global Health is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.
This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.