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Molnupiravir is an antiviral medicine used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2) in adults who are at risk for developing severe illness. Molnupiravir may help people with COVID-19 stay out of the hospital and feel better
Molnupiravir inhibits viral reproduction by promoting widespread mutations in the replication of viral RNA by RNA-directed RNA polymerase. It is metabolized into a ribonucleoside analog that resembles cytidine, β-D-N 4-Hydroxycytidine 5′-triphosphate (also called EIDD-1931 5′-triphosphate or NHC-TP). During replication, the virus's enzyme incorporates NHC-TP into newly-made RNA instead of using real cytidine.
Molnupiravir can swap between two forms (tautomers), one of which mimics cytidine (C) and the other of which mimics uridine (U). NHC-TP is not recognized as an error by the virus' proofreading exonuclease enzymes, which can replace mutated nucleotides with corrected versions. When the viral RNA polymerase attempts to copy RNA containing molnupiravir, it sometimes interprets it as C and sometimes as U. This causes more mutations in all downstream copies than the virus can survive, an effect called viral error catastrophe or lethal mutagenesis.
The recommended dose of Molnupiravir is 800 mg (four 200 mg capsules), every 12 hours for 5 days. Molnupiravir should be started within 5 days of the onset of COVID-19 symptoms.
This medicine can be taken with or without food.
No drug interactions have been identified based on the limited available data. No clinical interaction studies have been performed with Molnupiravir. Molnupiravir is hydrolysed to n-hydroxycytidine (NHC) prior to reaching systemic circulation. Uptake of NHC and metabolism to NHC-TP are mediated by the same pathways involved in endogenous pyrimidine metabolism. NHC is not a substrate of major drug metabolising enzymes or transporters. Based on in vitro studies, neither molnupiravir nor NHC are inhibitors or inducers of major drug metabolising enzymes or inhibitors of major drug transporters. Therefore, the potential for molnupiravir or NHC to interact with concomitant medications is considered unlikely.
Common side effects include diarrhoea, nausea, feeling dizzy, headache.
Animal studies with Molnupiravir have shown harmful effects to the unborn animal. Molnupiravir is not recommended in pregnancy. Molnupiravir has not been studied in pregnancy and it is not known if Molnupiravir will harm the baby during pregnancy.