Two medicines, side by side
Acyclovir vs remdesivir
Acyclovir is labeled for herpes and shingles; remdesivir for covid-19. Their labels share no use, so they are not alternatives to each other. Drugs@FDA records approvals of acyclovir since 1982 and of remdesivir since 2020. In FDA's classes, acyclovir is a herpes zoster virus nucleoside analog dna polymerase inhibitor and remdesivir a sars-cov-2 nucleotide analog rna polymerase inhibitor.
Check it at the source: the acyclovir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 24, 2026); the remdesivir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 29, 2026).
Highlights of the acyclovir record
Acyclovir (Zovirax) · label of July 24, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsHerpes Zoster Infections: Acyclovir tablets are indicated for the acute treatment of herpes zoster (shingles). Genital Herpes: Acyclovir tablets are indicated for the treatment of initial episodes and the management of recurrent episodes of genital herpes. Chickenpox: Acyclovir tablets are indicated for the treatment of chickenpox (varicella).
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- March 29, 1982
- Generic labelers
- 66 labelers
- Pharmacy cost
- $0.0962 per tablet
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 12
Highlights of the remdesivir record
Remdesivir (Veklury) · label of July 29, 2026
Used for
From the label: indicationsVEKLURY is indicated for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults and pediatric patients (birth to less than 18 years of age weighing at least 1.5 kg) who are [see Clinical Studies (14) ]: Hospitalized, or Not hospitalized and have mild-to-moderate COVID-19, and are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19, including hospitalization or death. […]
On the market
- Earliest approval on file
- October 22, 2020
- Generic labelers
- none listed
- Pharmacy cost
- Not in the survey
Supply and safety
- Shortage
- No current entry
- Recalls
- 2
Source: FDA drug labels via openFDA (Acyclovir label of July 24, 2026, Remdesivir label of July 29, 2026); NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, NADAC, FDA shortages and recalls (October 8, 2026)
How do acyclovir and remdesivir differ on the record?
In FDA's classes, acyclovir is a herpes zoster virus nucleoside analog dna polymerase inhibitor and remdesivir a sars-cov-2 nucleotide analog rna polymerase inhibitor.
Generics: acyclovir since 1997; remdesivir none approved (Drugs@FDA).
| Acyclovir | Remdesivir | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Herpes and shingles | COVID-19 |
| Pharmacologic class | Herpes Simplex Virus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor, Herpes Zoster Virus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor, Herpesvirus Nucleoside Analog DNA Polymerase Inhibitor | SARS-CoV-2 Nucleotide Analog RNA Polymerase Inhibitor |
| How it works (label) | n/a | Remdesivir is an antiviral drug with activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) [see Microbiology (12.4) ]. |
| Half-life (label) | Mean half-life after oral doses of 300 mg/m 2 and 600 mg/m 2 in pediatric patients aged 7 months to 7 years was 2.6 hours (range 1.59 to 3.74 hours). | n/a |
| Earliest approval on file (Drugs@FDA) | March 29, 1982 | October 22, 2020 |
| First generic approved | April 22, 1997 | none |
| Generic labelers (NDC) | 66 labelers | none listed |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC, each one's most listed form; strengths differ) | $0.0962 per tablet (Acyclovir 400 mg tablet) | n/a |
| 12-month price change | +5% | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
| Recalls recorded | 12 | 2 |
| FAERS reports (a report is not proof of cause; counts follow how widely a medicine is used) | 114,717 | 13,249 |
| DEA schedule | none | none |
Source: Drugs@FDA, FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026, FDA shortages and recalls, FAERS via openFDA (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Alternatives to acyclovir
- every medicine labeled for the same conditions