Molnupiravir

Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral medicine for COVID-19. Its active metabolite is incorporated into viral RNA, increasing copying errors until the virus cannot replicate effectively.

N4-hydroxycytidine: N4-hydroxycytidine is the active nucleoside form of molnupiravir that viral RNA polymerase can incorporate into RNA. This metabolite is converted inside cells from molnupiravir before it disrupts viral genome copying.
MOVe-OUT trial: MOVe-OUT was a randomized clinical trial of molnupiravir in nonhospitalized adults with COVID-19 at risk of severe disease. This pivotal trial tested early treatment in unvaccinated, high-risk outpatients.
Emory Institute for Drug Development: The Emory Institute for Drug Development is a research center that develops medicines for infectious diseases. Researchers there developed the compound that became molnupiravir.
Pregnancy and antiviral medicines: Pregnancy and antiviral medicines concern how antiviral treatment may affect a pregnant person and developing embryo or fetus. Molnupiravir is generally not recommended during pregnancy because of potential fetal harm.
Lethal mutagenesis: Lethal mutagenesis is a strategy that drives a replicating organism’s mutation rate beyond its capacity to remain viable. Molnupiravir aims to overwhelm SARS-CoV-2 with accumulated copying errors.
PANORAMIC trial: PANORAMIC was a UK randomized trial evaluating molnupiravir alongside usual care for COVID-19 in a largely vaccinated population. Its findings showed how results differed in a vaccinated, largely lower-risk population.
Ridgeback Biotherapeutics: Ridgeback Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on treatments for infectious diseases. The company advanced molnupiravir toward clinical testing and partnered in its development.
Antiviral drug resistance: Antiviral drug resistance occurs when genetic changes make a virus less susceptible to a medicine. Molnupiravir’s mutagenic mechanism raises questions about how treatment could shape viral evolution.
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase: RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is an enzyme that synthesizes RNA using RNA as its template. SARS-CoV-2’s polymerase incorporates molnupiravir’s active metabolite while copying viral RNA.
Antiviral treatment for COVID-19: Antiviral treatment for COVID-19 uses medicines that interfere with SARS-CoV-2 replication or other stages of infection. Molnupiravir is one option within the broader set of COVID-19 antiviral treatments.

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NucleosideBroader topic: Its active form is incorporated into viral RNA and increases replication errors.