Letermovir: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Letermovir is a cytomegalovirus dna terminase complex inhibitor sold in the U.S. under one brand. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Drug class
- Cytomegalovirus Dna Terminase Complex Inhibitor
- Available as
- Injectable · Oral pellets · Tablet
- Sold as
- Prevymis
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
How letermovir is dosed
From the FDA label for Prevymis (application NDA209939). Other letermovir products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
Adult and Pediatric Patients 12 Years of Age and Older and Weighing at least 30 kg Who Are HSCT Recipients or Adult and Pediatric Patients 12 Years of Age and Older and Weighing at least 40 kg Who Are Kidney Transplant Recipients: HSCT : 480 mg administered once daily orally or as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 1 hour through 100 days post-HSCT. In patients at risk for late CMV infection and disease, PREVYMIS may be continued through 200 days post-HSCT. ( 2.1 , 2.3 ) Kidney Transplant : 480 mg administered once daily orally or as an IV infusion over 1 hour through 200 days post-transplant. ( 2.1 , 2.3 ) Pediatric Patients 6 Months to Less than 12 Years of Age or 12 Years of Age and Older and Weighing Less than 30 kg Who Are HSCT Recipients: HSCT : Dosing based on weight administered once daily orally or as an IV infusion over 1 hour through 100 days post-HSCT. In patients at risk for late CMV infection and disease, PREVYMIS may be continued through 200 days post-HSCT. ( 2.1 , 2.5 ) PREVYMIS injection must be diluted prior to administration. ( 2.1 ) PREVYMIS injection must be administered through a sterile 0.2 micron or 0.22 micron polyethersulfone (PES) in-line filter. ( 2.1 , 2.10 ) Following the completion of PREVYMIS prophylaxis, monitoring for CMV reactivation in HSCT recipients is recommended. ( 2.2 ) Dosage Adjustment: If PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine,…
Letermovir side effects
Adult HSCT Patients: Most common adverse events (occurring in at least 10% of subjects in the PREVYMIS group and at a frequency at least 2% greater than placebo) are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, peripheral edema, cough, headache, fatigue, and abdominal pain. ( 6.1 ) Adult Kidney Transplant Patients: Most common adverse event (occurring in at least 10% of subjects in the PREVYMIS group and at a frequency greater than valganciclovir) is diarrhea. ( 6.1 ) Pediatric Patients: Adverse events in pediatric patients are similar to adults. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at 1-877-888-4231 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adult CMV-seropositive Recipients [R+] of an Allogeneic HSCT Prophylaxis Through Week 14 (~100 days) Post-HSCT The safety of PREVYMIS was evaluated in a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (P001) in which 565 subjects were randomized and treated with PREVYMIS (N=373) or placebo (N=192) through Week 14 post-HSCT. Adverse events were those reported while subjects were on study medication or…
Who shouldn’t take letermovir
PREVYMIS is contraindicated in patients receiving pimozide or ergot alkaloids: Pimozide: Concomitant administration of PREVYMIS in patients receiving pimozide may result in increased concentrations of pimozide due to inhibition of cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) by letermovir, which may lead to QT prolongation and torsades de pointes [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Drug Interactions (7.2 , 7.3) ] . Ergot alkaloids: Concomitant administration of PREVYMIS in patients receiving ergot alkaloids may result in increased concentrations of ergot alkaloids (ergotamine and dihydroergotamine) due to inhibition of CYP3A by letermovir, which may lead to ergotism [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Drug Interactions (7.2 , 7.3) ] . PREVYMIS is contraindicated with pitavastatin and simvastatin when co-administered with cyclosporine. Concomitant administration of PREVYMIS in combination with cyclosporine may result in significantly increased pitavastatin or simvastatin concentrations, which may lead to myopathy or rhabdomyolysis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Drug Interactions (7.2 , 7.3) ] . PREVYMIS is contraindicated with: Pimozide. ( 4 ) Ergot Alkaloids. ( 4 ) Pitavastatin and simvastatin when co-administered with cyclosporine. ( 4 )
Letermovir drug interactions
Dosage Adjustment: If PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, the dosage of PREVYMIS should be decreased to 240 mg once daily in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. ( 2.4 ) If PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age, dose adjustment may be required. ( 2.6 ) Co-administration of PREVYMIS may alter the plasma concentrations of other drugs and other drugs may alter the plasma concentrations of PREVYMIS. Consult the full prescribing information prior to and during treatment for potential drug interactions. ( 2.4 , 2.6 , 4 , 5.1 , 7.1 , 7.2 , 7.3 , 7.4 , 12.3 ) 7.1 Potential for Other Drugs to Affect PREVYMIS Letermovir is a substrate of organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1B1/3 (OATP1B1/3) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transporters and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1/3 (UGT1A1/3) enzymes. Co-administration of PREVYMIS with drugs that are inhibitors of OATP1B1/3 transporters may result in increases in letermovir plasma concentrations (Table 11). Co-administration of PREVYMIS with inducers of transporters (e.g., P-gp) and/or enzymes (e.g., UGTs) is not recommended due to the potential for a decrease in letermovir plasma concentrations (see Table 11 ) . 7.2 Potential for PREVYMIS to Affect Other Drugs Co-administration of PREVYMIS with midazolam results in increased midazolam plasma concentrations, indicating that letermovir is a moderate inhibitor of CYP3A [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Co-administration of PREVYMIS with drugs that are CYP3A substrates may result in clinically relevant increases in the plasma concentrations of co-administered CYP3A substrates (Table 11) [see Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Letermovir is an inhibitor of OATP1B1/3 transporters. Co-administration of PREVYMIS with drugs that are substrates of OATP1B1/3 transporters may result in a clinically relevant increase in plasma concentrations of co-administered OATP1B1/3 substrates (Table 11). The magnitude of CYP3A- and OATP1B1/3-mediated drug interactions on co-administered drugs may be different when PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine. See the prescribing information for cyclosporine for information on drug interactions with cyclosporine. 7.3 Established and Other Potentially Significant Drug Interactions If dose adjustments of concomitant medications are made due to treatment with PREVYMIS, doses should be readjusted after treatment with PREVYMIS is completed. Table 11 provides a listing of established or potentially clinically significant drug interactions. The drug interactions described are based on adult studies conducted with PREVYMIS or are predicted drug interactions that may occur with PREVYMIS [see Contraindications (4) , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) , and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Table 11: Potentially Significant Drug Interactions: Alteration in Dose May Be Recommended Based on Results from Adult Drug Interaction Studies or Predicted Interactions This table is not all inclusive. (Information in the Table Applies to Co-administration of PREVYMIS and the Concomitant Drug without Cyclosporine, Unless Otherwise Indicated) Concomitant Drug Class and/or Clearance Pathway: Drug Name Effect on Concentration ↓ =decrease, ↑ =increase Clinical Comments Anti-arrhythmic Agents amiodarone ↑ amiodarone Close clinical monitoring for adverse events related to amiodarone is recommended during co-administration. Frequently monitor amiodarone concentrations when amiodarone is co-administered with PREVYMIS. Antibiotics nafcillin ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and nafcillin is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. Anticoagulants warfarin ↓ warfarin When PREVYMIS is co-administered with warfarin, frequently monitor International Normalized Ratio (INR) Refer to the respective prescribing information. . Anticonvulsants carbamazepine ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and carbamazepine is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. phenobarbital ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and phenobarbital is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. phenytoin ↓ letermovir ↓ phenytoin Co-administration of PREVYMIS and phenytoin is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. Antidiabetic Agents Examples: glyburide, repaglinide, rosiglitazone ↑ glyburide ↑ repaglinide ↑ rosiglitazone When PREVYMIS is co-administered with glyburide, repaglinide, or rosiglitazone, frequently monitor glucose concentrations . When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, use of repaglinide is not recommended. Antifungals voriconazole These interactions have been studied [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . ↓ voriconazole If concomitant administration of voriconazole is necessary, closely monitor for reduced effectiveness of voriconazole . Antimycobacterials rifabutin ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and rifabutin is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. rifampin ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and rifampin is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. Antipsychotics pimozide ↑ pimozide Co-administration is contraindicated due to risk of QT prolongation and torsades de pointes [see Contraindications (4) ] . thioridazine ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and thioridazine is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. Endothelin Antagonists bosentan ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and bosentan is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. Ergot Alkaloids ergotamine, dihydroergotamine ↑ ergotamine, dihydroergotamine Co-administration is contraindicated due to risk of ergotism [see Contraindications (4) ] . Herbal Products St. John's wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and St. John's wort is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. HIV Medications efavirenz ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and efavirenz is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. etravirine ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and etravirine is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. nevirapine ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and nevirapine is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors atorvastatin ↑ atorvastatin When PREVYMIS is co-administered with atorvastatin, do not exceed an atorvastatin dosage of 20 mg daily . Closely monitor patients for myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, use of atorvastatin is not recommended. pitavastatin, simvastatin ↑ HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Co-administration of PREVYMIS and pitavastatin or simvastatin is not recommended. When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, use of either pitavastatin or simvastatin is contraindicated due to significantly increased pitavastatin or simvastatin concentrations and risk of myopathy or rhabdomyolysis [see Contraindications (4) ] . fluvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin ↑ HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors When PREVYMIS is co-administered with these statins, a statin dosage reduction may be necessary . Closely monitor patients for myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, use of lovastatin is not recommended. When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, refer to the statin prescribing information for specific statin dosing recommendations. Immunosuppressants cyclosporine ↑ cyclosporine ↑ letermovir Decrease the dosage of PREVYMIS to 240 mg once daily in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Dose adjustment may be required in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age [see Dosage and Administration (2.6) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Frequently monitor cyclosporine whole blood concentrations during treatment and after discontinuation of PREVYMIS and adjust the dose of cyclosporine accordingly . sirolimus ↑ sirolimus When PREVYMIS is co-administered with sirolimus, frequently monitor sirolimus whole blood concentrations during treatment and after discontinuation of PREVYMIS and adjust the dose of sirolimus accordingly . When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine and sirolimus, refer to the sirolimus prescribing information for specific sirolimus dosing recommendations . tacrolimus ↑ tacrolimus Frequently monitor tacrolimus whole blood concentrations during treatment and after discontinuation of PREVYMIS and adjust the dose of tacrolimus accordingly . Proton Pump Inhibitors omeprazole ↓ omeprazole Clinical monitoring and dose adjustment may be needed. pantoprazole ↓ pantoprazole Clinical monitoring and dose adjustment may be needed. Wakefulness-Promoting Agents modafinil ↓ letermovir Co-administration of PREVYMIS and modafinil is not recommended due to potential for loss of efficacy of PREVYMIS. CYP3A Substrates Examples: alfentanil, fentanyl, midazolam, and quinidine ↑ CYP3A substrate When PREVYMIS is co-administered with a CYP3A substrate, refer to the prescribing information for dosing of the CYP3A substrate with a moderate CYP3A inhibitor . When PREVYMIS is co-administered with cyclosporine, the combined effect on CYP3A substrates may be similar to a strong CYP3A inhibitor. Refer to the prescribing information for dosing of the CYP3A substrate with a strong CYP3A inhibitor . CYP3A substrates pimozide and ergot alkaloids are contraindicated [see Contraindications (4) ] . 7.4 Drugs without Clinically Significant Interactions with PREVYMIS No clinically significant interactions were observed in adult clinical drug-drug interaction studies of letermovir and acyclovir, digoxin, mycophenolate mofetil, fluconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, ethinyl estradiol, and levonorgestrel.
Every letermovir product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Prevymis.
What letermovir pills look like
Imprint codes, colour and shape from the FDA’s labelling data. Match the imprint on your pill — or search any imprint.
Can you crush or split letermovir?
At least one letermovirproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each letermovir label says about crushing, splitting and chewingWhat people report to the FDA about letermovir
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) collects reports from patients and clinicians. It holds 1,395 reports naming letermovir, and the FDA flagged 93% of those reports as serious. The effects reported most often — leaving out reports about overdose, misuse or the condition being treated, which dominate the raw list for common medicines:
- cytomegalovirus infection reactivation150 reports
- acute kidney injury111 reports
- pancytopenia92 reports
- cytomegalovirus infection87 reports
- drug resistance79 reports
- cytomegalovirus viraemia74 reports
- cystitis haemorrhagic59 reports
- neutropenia58 reports
Read these as a signal, not a rate. A report does not mean letermovir caused the effect — anyone can file one, and many describe people taking several medicines for several conditions. Crucially there is no denominator: FAERS does not record how many people took the drug, so these counts cannot be turned into “X% of patients” — a bigger number often just means a more widely used or more talked-about drug. Duplicates exist, and publicity drives reporting. For what is actually established, read the FDA label section above.
Source: openFDA drug/event (FAERS), retrieved July 25, 2026.
Related calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is letermovir?
Prevymis (Letermovir) is a cytomegalovirus dna terminase complex inhibitor.
What kind of drug is letermovir?
The FDA classifies letermovir as a cytomegalovirus dna terminase complex inhibitor. If you are checking whether it is safe to combine with something else, the class is what matters — two drugs from the same class usually should not be stacked.
Can you take letermovir with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run letermovir against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does letermovir come in?
Across the brands we track, letermovir is currently marketed as injectable, oral pellets and tablet, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic letermovir?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled letermovir product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Letermovir: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/letermovir
- MLA
- “Letermovir: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/letermovir.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for letermovir on DailyMed (NIH) ↗.