Nirmatrelvir 150mg tablets
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
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Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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1 branded products available
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Nirmatrelvir 150mg tablets
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(5)
Nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir and tocilizumab for treating COVID-19 (TA878)
Molnupiravir for treating COVID-19 (TA1056)
COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing COVID-19 (NG191)
Remdesivir and tixagevimab plus cilgavimab for treating COVID-19 (TA971)
Tixagevimab plus cilgavimab for preventing COVID-19 (TA900)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Supply & safety information
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Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
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NHS UK identifiers
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 14 · Randomised trials: 7 · 2022–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Khani E, Afsharirad H, Yadegari AT, et al.
2026
The high mutations of the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 raised concerns regarding the efficacy of antivirals. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the impact of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir on the outcomes of immunocompetent patients with confirmed Omicron variant. Three reviewers systemically searched PubMed (Medline), Cochrane Library, and Embase databases up to June 9, 2025. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and observational studies with a control group were screened for eligibility to extract data. Studies that included only patients with immunosuppression, malignancy, or renal failure, severe disease, or assessed nirmatrelvir/ritonavir efficacy on variants other than Omicron were excluded. Forty-six observational studies, including 6,099,805 participants, were involved in the meta-analysis. Our findings revealed that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir significantly decreases death (risk ratio [RR] =0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.40), disease progression (RR = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.42-0.71), hospitalization (RR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.35-0.56), composite outcome of hospitalization and death (RR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.44-0.71), ventilation (RR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.19-0.72), and intensive care unit admission (RR = 0.56; 95% CI: 0.38-0.73) compared to the control group. However, no significant difference was shown across the two groups regarding hospitalization duration (mean difference = -2.34; 95% CI: -5.60-0.93). The current updated meta-analysis supported the efficacy of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir on the Omicron variant. However, further RCTs are recommended for accurate results.
Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA
Cucunawangsih C, Ansori ANM, Vatvani AD, et al.
2026
- Pyrrolidinones
- Ritonavir
- Azabicyclo Compounds
BackgroundThis study systematically synthesized existing evidence to evaluate whether outpatient treatment with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir during the acute phase reduces the incidence of long COVID.MethodsWe conducted a systematic search of Europe PMC, Medline, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from inception to 15 September 2025. Eligible studies compared COVID-19 outpatients prescribed nirmatrelvir/ritonavir during the acute phase with those who did not receive the drug. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model.ResultsNineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir use during acute infection was associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of developing post-COVID-19 condition (OR 0.85; 95% CI: 0.80-0.91; p 2 = 99%). Protective effects were consistently observed across multiple clinical domains, including cardiovascular (arrhythmia, ischemic disease, heart failure), pulmonary (dyspnea, COPD), thromboembolic (DVT, PE), neurological (stroke, cognitive impairment, headache), psychiatric (depression), gastrointestinal, metabolic (new-onset diabetes), renal (AKI), and general symptoms (malaise and fatigue). Conversely, no significant differences were noted for cough, asthma, dysautonomia, anxiety, PTSD, sleep disturbances, musculoskeletal pain, or olfactory/gustatory dysfunction.ConclusionsEarly outpatient treatment with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir may mitigate the risk of developing several domains of long COVID, though its benefits are not uniform across all symptom categories.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Mousavi T, Moosazadeh M, Jalali H
2026
- Ritonavir
- Antiviral Agents
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
Farokhnia A, Faro LK, Tian Y, et al.
2026
- Ritonavir
- Antiviral Agents
- COVID-19 Drug Treatment
ObjectivesTo summarize individual patient data (IPD) on extended-duration nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (NMV-r) for persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised adults and describe outcomes by regimen.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review with IPD synthesis (PRISMA-IPD; PROSPERO CRD42025642455), searching databases through December 2025 and restricting eligible reports to January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2025 (Omicron-era focus). IPD were obtained for 39 patients from four low-risk-of-bias cohort studies (n = 30) and institutional cases (n = 9) meeting predefined criteria for persistent infection. We summarized outcomes after last-line extended NMV-r and report exploratory, unadjusted subgroup descriptions for monotherapy (n = 27) and combination regimens (n = 12).ResultsMedian age was 63 years. Patients had prolonged viral replication (median 58 days) before receiving extended NMV-r (median 10 days). Persistent infection after last-line extended therapy occurred in 5/38 (13.2%) evaluable patients. Persistence was observed in 2/26 (7.7%) evaluable monotherapy and 3/12 (25.0%) combination-therapy recipients; because regimen selection was nonrandom and baseline risk differed between groups, these subgroup proportions are descriptive and should not be interpreted as comparative effectiveness. All-cause mortality and adverse events (AEs) were rare (each 1/39; 2.6%).ConclusionIn this selected observational IPD cohort, clearance after last-line extended NMV-r-containing therapy was commonly reported, and serious AEs were uncommon. Comparative inferences are limited by small sample size, imprecision, and confounding by indication; prospective studies are needed. PROSPERO registration CRD42025642455.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Ebell M, Kurotschka P
2026
BackgroundSince the benefit of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (N-R) may have changed in contemporary patients, we assessed the effectiveness of N-R for preventing hospitalization and death among outpatients with COVID-19 in the Omicron era.MethodsThis was a meta-analysis of cohort studies comparing rates of hospitalization and/or mortality in outpatients treated with N-R compared with untreated patients. Analysis was limited to studies conducted since December 2021 that performed an adjusted multivariate analysis. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Summary estimates of adjusted relative risks (aRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and prediction intervals (PI) were calculated overall and for prespecified subgroups. Heterogeneity was summarized visually and with τ and 95% PIs. Absolute effects were estimated by applying pooled aRRs to baseline risks to obtain absolute risk reductions (ARRs) and numbers needed to treat (NNTs).ResultsForty-seven studies (10,791,211 patients) were included. Pooled aRRs were 0.54 (95% CI, 0.43-0.68) for all-cause hospitalization and 0.45 (0.36-0.56) for COVID-19 hospitalization. Pooled RRs were 0.30 (0.23-0.39) for all-cause mortality and 0.43 (0.32-0.59) for COVID-19 mortality. PIs were DiscussionN-R is associated with reduced hospitalization and death. Absolute risk reductions of hospitalization are small in low-risk patients but clinically meaningful in moderate- and high-risk patients.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Yvette N. Lamb
Drugs, 2022
Lowe DM, Zhang S, Ellis S, et al.
2026
- Ritonavir
- Antiviral Agents
- COVID-19
BackgroundNirmatrelvir-ritonavir is widely used for COVID-19, but effectiveness was established in unvaccinated people with SARS-CoV-2 variants before omicron. Within the randomised Platform Adaptive Trial of Novel Antivirals for Early Treatment of COVID-19 in the Community (PANORAMIC) trial, we did a substudy to evaluate virological and immunological outcomes.MethodsAdults (aged ≥50 years, or ≥18 years with comorbidities) with early COVID-19 were recruited across the UK in an open-label trial and randomly assigned to receive nirmatrelvir-ritonavir twice daily for 5 days plus usual care (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group) or usual care alone (supportive treatment only with the use of antipyretics as required; usual care group). Before randomisation, participants were also invited to enter the virology substudy, and those who consented were sent swabs and blood spot testing kits for self-sampling with instructions. We performed viral quantitative PCR, viral culture, and sequencing on self-collected combined nasal and pharyngeal swabs submitted daily for 7 days and at day 14 (intensive sampling group) or at baseline, day 5, and day 14. We measured blood spot SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody titre and C-reactive protein (CRP) at baseline, day 5, and day 14 in all participants. We undertook mixed-effects modelling to identify predictors of viral load or spike antibody rate of change and assessed viral rebound by multiple definitions. The trial was registered with EudraCT, 2021-005748-31.FindingsFrom Sept 10, 2022, to Oct 23, 2023, 649 people agreed to participate in the virology substudy, of whom 27 were excluded per the prespecified analysis plan, resulting in 622 participants in the analysis: 326 in the nirmatrelvir-ritonavir group and 296 in the usual care group. Nirmatrelvir-ritonavir treatment reduced viral load from day 5 onwards and increased viral clearance. The estimated half-life was 0·78 days (95% CI 0·74-0·83) with usual care versus 0·66 days (95% CI 0·56-0·68) with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir; p10 U/mL [SD 0·48]), and baseline viral loads were low (mean 6·42 log10 copies per mL [1·49]) with the two correlating inversely (slope -0·63; pInterpretationNirmatrelvir-ritonavir is effectively antiviral against omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants, but the magnitude of viral load reduction might be limited by effective population-wide immunity in the immunocompetent population.FundingUK National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Charles L Bennett, Joseph Magagnoli, Krishna Gundabolu, et al.
PLoS ONE, 2024
Ming Hong Choi, Eric Yuk Fai Wan, Fan Ngai Ivan Hung
Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2026
Abstract Background While molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir have demonstrated efficacy in reducing hospitalisation and mortality among unvaccinated, high-risk COVID-19 patients in outpatient settings, their impact on hospitalised adults remains unclear. Preclinical studies and case reports suggest combining these antivirals may reduce viral shedding and enhance survival.Baseline characteristics of eligible COVID-19 patients after the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW)SMD=Standardised mean difference; SD=Standard deviation; IQR = interquartile range; CCI=Charlson Comorbidity Index; ICU=Intensivecare units;†SMD<0.1 indicates balance between groups·†† Level 1: Hospitalised patients with no oxygen therapy; Level 2: Hospitalised patients with oxygen by mask, nasal prongs, non-invasiveventilation or high flow; Level 3: Hospitalised patients with intubation and mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, dialysis, or extracorporealmembrane oxygenationRisk of outcomes for COVID-19 patients receiving combined use of molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir ritonavir compared with patients receiving molnupiravir alone and patients receiving nirmatrelvir-ritonavir alone after weighting Methods This target trial emulation study evaluated the safety and efficacy of combined molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir versus monotherapy in hospitalised COVID-19 adults in Hong Kong. Data were extracted from electronic health records of patients aged 18 and older treated within five days of hospital admission between March 16, 2022, and March 31, 2024. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance baseline characteristics. Outcomes, including all-cause mortality, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission, and ventilatory support, were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models.Study flow diagram90-day cumulative incidence of outcomes in recipients of combination treatment with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and molnupiravir compared to recipients of molnupiravir monotherapy and recipients of nirmatrelvir-ritonavirShared area refers to the 95% confidence interval for the cumulative incidence. The P values indicate the overall P values of the Log-rank test comparing the three treatment groups for each outcome Results Among 28,355 patients (combination: 1,081; molnupiravir: 8,416; nirmatrelvir-ritonavir: 18,858), IPTW-adjusted analyses showed that nirmatrelvir-ritonavir monotherapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality (HR: 0.62; 95% CI 0.50-0.77; ARR: -3.16%) compared to combination therapy. Risks of ICU admission and ventilatory support were similar across all groups. Patients receiving nirmatrelvir-ritonavir monotherapy also showed lower risks of acute liver injury (HR: 0.53 [95% CI 0.32-0.88]), acute kidney injury (HR: 0.61 [95% CI 0.51-0.74]), and hyperglycaemia (HR 0·73 [95% CI 0.57- 0.93]). Conclusion Combining nirmatrelvir-ritonavir and molnupiravir does not significantly reduce mortality, ICU admissions, or ventilatory support needs in hospitalised COVID-19 adults. Further randomised controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures
Abstract licence: CC BY 4.0
Oppegaard O, Blomberg B, Cox RJ, et al.
2026
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
6.05 hours
Mechanism
Nirmatrelvir is an inhibitor of a cysteine residue in the 3C-like protease (3CLPRO) of SARS-CoV-2.
Food interactions
2 warnings
Human targets
None mapped
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
3 hours
[L39544]
…
Half-life
6.05 hours
[L39544]
Protein binding
69%
[L39544]
Volume of distribution
[L39544]
Metabolism
[L39544]
Elimination
49.6%
[L39544]
…
Clearance
8.99 L/h
[L39544]
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
In 2020, Pfizer was investigating another potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2, [PF-07304814].[L33359] Both drugs were inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CLPRO, but nirmatrelvir has the advantage of being orally bioavailable.[L33359] Nirmatrelvir is advantageous in that it can be prescribed to patients before they require hospitalization, while [PF-07304814] requires intravenous administration in hospital.[L33359]
In December 2021, the FDA granted an emergency use authorization to Paxlovid, a co-packaged product containing both nirmatrelvir and [ritonavir], for the treatment of certain patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.[L39544] It was fully approved by the FDA on May 25, 2023.[L46921] Paxlovid was approved for use in Canada in January 2022 for the treatment of adult patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 [L39544] and later granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission on January 27, 2022.[L40094]
[L46586][L39840]
In Europe, this therapeutic indication is approved under conditional marketing authorization.
[L40089]
Known interactions with other medicines. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 121 interactions
[L39544]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L39544]
After a single oral dose of 300mg nirmatrelvir and 100mg ritonavir in healthy subjects, the Cmax and AUCinf of nirmatrelvir were 2.21 µg/mL and 23.01 µg*hr/mL, respectively.
[L39544]
[L39544]
[L39544]
[L39544]
[L39544]
[L39544]
Following oral administration alongside ritonavir, approximately 49.6% of drug-related material was recovered in the feces and 35.3% was recovered in the urine.
[L39544]
[L39544]
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:8898203 PMID:9038218 PMID:35507548
Catalyzes the flop of phospholipids from the cytoplasmic to the exoplasmic leaflet of the apical membrane. Participates mainly to the flop of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, beta-D-glucosylceramides and sphingomyelins .
PMID:8898203
Energy-dependent efflux pump responsible for decreased drug accumulation in multidrug-resistant cells PMID:2897240 PMID:35970996 PMID:9038218
ATC J05AE30
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Nirmatrelvir
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
23691
ChemSpider
114826566
BindingDB
496902
PDB
ZGW
UniProt Accession
R1AB_SARS2
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2637
GenAtlas
CYP3A4
GeneCards
CYP3A4
GenBank Gene Database
M18907
Guide to Pharmacology
1337
UniProt Accession
CP3A4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:40
GenAtlas
ABCB1
GeneCards
ABCB1
GenBank Gene Database
M14758
GenBank Protein Database
307180
Guide to Pharmacology
768
UniProt Accession
MDR1_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72