Molnupiravir
Antiviral medication / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Molnupiravir, sold under the brand name Lagevrio, is an antiviral medication that inhibits the replication of certain RNA viruses.[6] It is used to treat COVID‑19 in those infected by SARS-CoV-2.[6] It is taken by mouth.[6]
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Pronunciation | /ˌmɔːlnuˈpɪərəvɪər/ MAWL-noo-PEER-ə-veer |
Trade names | Lagevrio |
Other names | MK-4482, EIDD-2801 |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
MedlinePlus | a622027 |
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Routes of administration | By mouth |
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Formula | C13H19N3O7 |
Molar mass | 329.309 g·mol−1 |
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Molnupiravir is a prodrug of the synthetic nucleoside derivative N4-hydroxycytidine and exerts its antiviral action by introducing copying errors during viral RNA replication.[13][14]
Molnupiravir was originally developed to treat influenza at Emory University by the university's drug innovation company, Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory (DRIVE), but was reportedly abandoned for mutagenicity concerns.[15][16] It was then acquired by Miami-based company Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, which later partnered with Merck & Co. to develop the drug further.[17]
Based on positive results in placebo-controlled double-blind randomized clinical trials,[18][19] molnupiravir was approved for medical use in the United Kingdom in November 2021.[6][20][21][22] In December 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) to molnupiravir for use in certain populations where other treatments are not feasible.[10] The emergency use authorization was only narrowly approved (13-10) because of questions about efficacy and concerns that molnupiravir's mutagenic effects could create new variants that evade immunity and prolong the COVID‑19 pandemic.[23][24][25] In September 2023, molnupiravir's mutagenicity was confirmed in a study of global SARS CoV 2 isolates after 2022: genomic changes were more common, especially where molnupiravir had been used.[26]