Prescription medication · Nucleoside Analog (Antiviral)
molnupiravir
Also sold as Lagevrio. Lagevrio treats mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 5,119
- FDA reportsLightly reported
- Rx
- Availability
molnupiravir (Lagevrio) is a prescription Nucleoside Analog (Antiviral). Lagevrio treats mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults.
Lagevrio contains molnupiravir, an antiviral medicine. It is used to treat COVID-19 in adults.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
What it does
Lagevrio treats mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults.
Common side effects
Diarrhea, Nausea, Dizziness
Key warnings
Lagevrio is only for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of severe illness and when other treatments aren't suitable.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from molnupiravir's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Lagevrio stops the COVID-19 virus from multiplying in your body. It does this by interfering with how the virus makes copies of itself. This helps your body fight off the infection.
How to Take It
Take four 200 mg capsules (800 mg total) every 12 hours for 5 days. You can take it with or without food. Start taking Lagevrio as soon as possible after you are diagnosed with COVID-19, and within 5 days of your symptoms starting. It is important to finish all 5 days of treatment.
This is a plain-language summary of molnupiravir's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
Lagevrio may harm your unborn baby. If you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Lagevrio. There is a pregnancy registry to track outcomes in people who take Lagevrio while pregnant. You can find it at https://covid-pr.pregistry.com or call 1-800-616-3791.
This is a plain-language summary of molnupiravir's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose and it is within 10 hours of your regular time, take it as soon as you remember. If it is more than 10 hours, skip the missed dose and take your next dose at the regular time. Do not take two doses at once to make up for a missed dose.
This is a plain-language summary of molnupiravir's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Store Lagevrio capsules at room temperature, between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C).
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 5,119 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for molnupiravir, by number of reports
- Covid-19
Covid-19
476 reports
- Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
268 reports
- Product Use Complaint
Product Use Complaint
212 reports
- Rash
Rash
210 reports
- Accidental Underdose
Accidental Underdose
207 reports
- Nausea
Nausea
191 reports
- Underdose 184
Underdose
184 reports
- Accidental Overdose 152
Accidental Overdose
152 reports
- Vomiting 144
Vomiting
144 reports
- Dizziness 138
Dizziness
138 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for molnupiravir each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where molnupiravir sits
molnupiravir has more FDA adverse-event reports than 25% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is molnupiravir; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 5,119 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2018–2025.
Total Reports
5,119
Reports Mentioning Death
472
9.2% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
933
Top Indication
Covid-19 Treatment
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | COVID-19 | 476 |
| 6 | DIARRHOEA | 268 |
| 7 | PRODUCT USE COMPLAINT | 212 |
| 8 | RASH | 210 |
| 9 | ACCIDENTAL UNDERDOSE | 207 |
| 10 | NAUSEA | 191 |
| 11 | UNDERDOSE | 184 |
| 13 | ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE | 152 |
| 14 | VOMITING | 144 |
| 15 | DIZZINESS | 138 |
| 16 | INAPPROPRIATE SCHEDULE OF PRODUCT ADMINISTRATION | 137 |
| 17 | OVERDOSE | 117 |
| 18 | PRODUCT PRESCRIBING ISSUE | 113 |
| 19 | COVID-19 PNEUMONIA | 105 |
| 20 | DEATH | 103 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Lagevrio is only for adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of severe illness and when other treatments aren't suitable. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Lagevrio may harm your unborn baby. Females who can get pregnant should use birth control during treatment and for 4 days after the last dose. Males who can get someone pregnant should use birth control during treatment and for 3 months after the last dose.
Common Questions
What should I do if I experience an allergic reaction?
Can I take Lagevrio if I have kidney problems?
Can I take Lagevrio if I have liver problems?
Can older people take Lagevrio?
Are there any known drug interactions with Lagevrio?
Can children or teenagers take Lagevrio?
What if I can't swallow the capsules?
How long should I take Lagevrio?
What if I start feeling better before finishing the 5-day course?
Is Lagevrio a substitute for vaccination?
What are the common side effects of molnupiravir?
What drug class is molnupiravir?
Is molnupiravir safe during pregnancy?
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Medication Guides
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What the FDA Data Shows for molnupiravir
The FDA label for molnupiravir (sold under brand names such as Lagevrio) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Nucleoside Analog (Antiviral) class. Lagevrio treats mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults. Official labeling lists 3 commonly reported side effects, including Diarrhea, Nausea, Dizziness.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 5,119 voluntary reports. Interaction data is drawn directly from FDA-approved prescribing information. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: July 11, 2025
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages