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Prescription medicine · generic available

Ribavirin

Drug class: Nucleoside Analog Antiviral

The FDA’s “Established Pharmacologic Class”: the group of medicines that work in a similar way.

Official FDA data, not advice

Everything here comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): the drug label, the NDC Directory, Drugs@FDA, recall reports and the drug shortage list. Each fact shows its source and date.

This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.

In an emergency, call 911. If someone may have taken too much of a medicine, call Poison Help: 1‑800‑222‑1222.

Quick answers

What is Ribavirin used for?
The FDA-approved label (Ribavirin, Oceanside Pharmaceuticals, May 1, 2019) says: “Ribavirin for Inhalation Solution, USP is indicated for the treatment of hospitalized infants and young children with severe lower respiratory tract infections due to RSV. Treatment early in the course of severe lower respiratory tract infection may be necessary to achieve efficacy. Only severe RSV lower respiratory tract infection should be treated with Ribavirin for Inhalation Solution, USP. …” This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.
Does Ribavirin have a boxed warning?
Yes. The FDA label for Ribavirin has a boxed warning, the FDA’s strongest warning. Read it on the full label and ask your pharmacist.
Is there a shortage of Ribavirin?
No current shortage is listed by the FDA for the products of this medicine (FDA data from October 30, 2026).
Has Ribavirin been recalled?
No recall linked to the products of this medicine appears in the FDA enforcement reports we use.
Who makes Ribavirin?
2 companies list prescription products of Ribavirin in the FDA NDC Directory, including Aurobindo Pharma Limited and Oceanside Pharmaceuticals.

What Ribavirin is used for

Quoted from the “Indications and Usage” section of the FDA-approved label.

Ribavirin for Inhalation Solution, USP is indicated for the treatment of hospitalized infants and young children with severe lower respiratory tract infections due to RSV. Treatment early in the course of severe lower respiratory tract infection may be necessary to achieve efficacy. Only severe RSV lower respiratory tract infection should be treated with Ribavirin for Inhalation Solution, USP. …

— FDA label: Ribavirin, Oceanside Pharmaceuticals, effective May 1, 2019. Read the full label on DailyMed →

The FDA has 3 labels for products of this medicine (different makers and forms); uses can differ between them. Check the label that comes with your own medicine.

This page is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine.

Conditions named on the label

These condition names appear word for word in the label’s “Indications and Usage” text (matched with a reviewed table). Each page lists hospitals whose own websites name the condition.

Related medical specialties

Boxed warning

A boxed warning (“black box”) is the FDA’s strongest warning on a drug label, for serious or life-threatening risks.

This label has a boxed warning. Read it on the full label →

3 of 3 FDA labels for this medicine have a boxed warning.

Forms and how it is given

Dosage formsPowder, for solution · Tablet, film coated · Capsule
RouteOral · Respiratory (inhalation)
Prescription products3 in the FDA NDC Directory

What pharmacies pay (NADAC)

The National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) is the average price U.S. retail pharmacies paid to buy one unit of a medicine (one tablet, one mL or one gram), from a monthly survey of pharmacy invoices by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). State Medicaid programs use it to pay pharmacies.

This is not the price you pay. What you pay depends on your insurance (copay or coinsurance), your pharmacy and any discounts, and pharmacies also charge for filling a prescription. Ask your pharmacist or your health plan what your price will be.

NADAC per unit for Ribavirin, by strength and form
Strength and formGeneric or brandPharmacies pay
ribavirin 200 mg
tablet, film coated
Generic $0.4507 per tablet

NADAC list of November 4, 2026; these prices took effect on October 21, 2026. Shown only where a package’s NDC code matches the NADAC list exactly, and only for that exact strength and form: nothing is averaged across strengths. Strengths and forms not listed here have no NADAC price.

Source: NADAC (National Average Drug Acquisition Cost) 2026, data.medicaid.gov (CMS) →

Companies that list this medicine

Labelers in the FDA NDC Directory: the company named on the package (maker or distributor), with the number of prescription products.

FDA approval history

  • NDA: New Drug Application: how a new (usually brand-name) medicine is approved.
  • ANDA: Abbreviated New Drug Application: how a generic version is approved.
Brand and biologic applications
ApplicationSponsorApprovedLater changes approved
NDA018859
VIRAZOLE
BauschDecember 31, 1985 20, latest January 6, 2016
2016: Manufacturing (CMC) · 2014: Manufacturing (CMC) · 2000: Manufacturing (CMC)

Generic approvals (2)

Shortage status

The FDA drug shortage list does not show these products.

FDA Drug Shortages database →

Recalls

No recall linked to these products (by their NDC code) appears in the FDA enforcement reports.

Official identifiers

RxCUI (RxNorm)248109, 312817, 312818
SPL set ID of the quoted labeld74aa4f3-0b7d-480d-b5bf-41ddf808b260
FDA labels (SPL)3
FDA applicationsNDA018859, 2 ANDA
Active ingredients (FDA)RIBAVIRIN

Sources

  1. FDA-approved label on DailyMed (National Library of Medicine) — Ribavirin, Oceanside Pharmaceuticals, effective May 1, 2019; via openFDA, FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
  2. NDC Directory (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
  3. Drugs@FDA (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
  4. Drug recall enforcement reports (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 27, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026
  5. Drug shortages (openFDA) — U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA data exported October 30, 2026, retrieved October 31, 2026

openFDA data is provided by the FDA as is; it may be incomplete. Always rely on the label that comes with your medicine. FDA Enforcement Report search →

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