Description: Molnupiravir is an oral antiviral medication. It is a prodrug, meaning it is converted into its active form once inside the body. This active form is a ribonucleoside analog that is structurally similar to one of the building blocks of RNA.

Indication: Molnupiravir is indicated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in adults who are at a high risk of progressing to severe illness, including hospitalization or death, and for whom other treatment options are not suitable. It should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis of COVID-19 and within five days of the onset of symptoms.

Mechanism of Action: Molnupiravir works by a process called “lethal mutagenesis” or “viral error catastrophe.” Once it is converted to its active form, it is incorporated into the viral RNA during replication by the virus’s RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) enzyme. This incorporation introduces copying errors into the viral genome at a rate that is too high for the virus to survive, leading to the production of non-functional viral particles and effectively stopping the virus from replicating.