The Story of Molnupiravir: Is It Safe?

.Molupiravir is an antiviral prodrug that works against the COVID-19 virus 

.The new medications are not be accepted and presented to the marketplace without doing robust research on animals and humans

.Any new drug should begin from scratch with it. It should be administered in preclinical trials firstly

.Then, after the success of those trials and finding some efficacy in animals, the researchers can do more with humans

.The process is too rough because the drug should be in the marketplace after proceeding with 3 different phases in clinical trials

Molnupiravir safety and efficacy

 .There are many pieces of research that reveal Molupiravir is safe and effective 

.The medication was safe in mice and humans too

.Also, there was a research paper conducted on the unvaccinated people against the Coronavirus

.This paper shows that this prodrug is effective for mild and moderate COVID-19 cases

.However, it did not show some efficacy in severe cases 

Molnupiravir indication

.Scientists made efforts to approve the Molnupiravir safety and efficacy, and they proceed with vitro and vivo trials

.They found that it should be administered for patients who are infected with mild and moderate stages

.Also, it is very useful for people who are infected with the virus and unvaccinated against it

.The FDA recommends that the physician must prescribe it only within 5 days of symptoms onset

Dosing

:There is a difference between pediatric and adult doses, according to the following

 For Adults

:The dose for adults

• .800 mg every 12 hours for 5 days
• .You can take it with or without food
• .Don’t take it more than 5 days because its safety didn’t establish yet

 For Pediatric

.It is forbidden to be administered to patients younger than 18 years because of bone and cartilage toxicity

Dose adjustment

.The good news is that there is no need to adjust the drug for patients who suffer from the virus infection plus a renal or liver dysfunction 

.Also, there is no harm to geriatric patients who are older than 65 years old

Adverse drug reactions

.Every chemical medication has its side effects, but it differs from mild to severe

:The adverse reactions are

• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Stomach upset
   

Warnings and precautions 

.If you suffered from those symptoms, you should contact your clinician directly

• Itching
• Hives
• Tightness in throat
• Rash
• Unusual hoarseness
• Swelling in mouth and lips
   

Conclusion

.This prodrug is safe and effective. Also, it is indicated for people with mild to moderate corona symptoms

.You should take it within 5 days of symptoms onset, and no more than this

.The adult dose is 800 mg twice daily for 5 days only, and it is contraindicated on children

.If you suffer from any sudden symptoms, call your physician immediately