Drugs › Human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor
Brand name · Zidovudine
Retrovir: adverse event reports filed with FDA
2,026 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor.
- 2,026
- reports as suspect product
- 0% of all reports · about 90 a year
- 11
- reports, 12 months to June 2026
- 20 in the 12 months before
- 93.7%
- marked serious by the reporter
- 84.3% across the class
- 7.7%
- record death among outcomes, as reported
- 156 reports · not verified by FDA
2,026 adverse event reports received by FDA list the brand name Retrovir (zidovudine) as a suspect or interacting product, from January 2004 to June 2026. A further 904 reports list it only as a concomitant medication, and those are not counted in the figures on this page.
In the 12 months to June 2026, 11 reports listed it, down 45% from 20 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 90 reports a year and 0% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 2.5% of the reports for the human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.
Reporters most often recorded foetal exposure during pregnancy (26.5%), drug exposure during pregnancy (19.4%) and anaemia (11.4%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 674 different terms appear across these reports. Foetal exposure during pregnancy is recorded in 26.5% of these reports, a larger share than in the median human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor drug (3.6%).
93.7% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (84.3% across the class); 7.7% record death among the outcomes and 37.3% record hospitalisation, as reported. 34.9% of the reports came from other health professionals, and the largest patient age group is 18 to 44 (21.6%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."
Reports by month, five years
Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.
By year received
2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.
Reactions recorded in the reports
share of Retrovir reports recording the termmedian drug in human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor
- Foetal exposure during pregnancythe unborn baby was exposed to the medicine26.5%537
- Drug exposure during pregnancythe medicine was taken during pregnancy19.4%394
- Anaemialow red blood cells11.4%230
- Premature babya baby born early9.3%189
- Neutropenialow neutrophils, a type of white blood cell5.5%111
- Caesarean section4.4%90
- Maternal exposure during pregnancythe mother took the medicine during pregnancy3.9%80
- Exposure during pregnancythe medicine was taken during pregnancy3.3%66
- Hypertriglyceridaemia3.3%66
- Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools3%60
- Pregnancypregnancy2.9%59
- Pyrexiafever2.7%54
- Vomitingbeing sick2.6%53
- Nauseafeeling sick2.5%50
- Thrombocytopenialow platelets2.5%50
- Aspartate aminotransferase increasedraised liver enzyme (AST)2.4%48
- Immune reconstitution syndrome2.3%47
- Abdominal distensiona bloated abdomen2.3%46
- Pancytopenialow counts of all blood cells2.1%43
- Alanine aminotransferase increasedraised liver enzyme (ALT)2%40
- Anaemia macrocytic2%40
- Low birth weight baby1.9%38
- Live birth1.8%36
- Premature labour1.8%36
- Patent ductus arteriosus1.7%35
- Leukopenialow white blood cells1.7%34
- Cardiac murmur1.6%32
Top 30 of 674 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 13 drugs in the human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Outcomes recorded
Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 80,988 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."
Patients and reporters
Patient age
Patient sex
Who reported
Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 31.9% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.
Reason for use recorded
| Indication as recorded (MedDRA) | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hiv infection | 772 | 38.1% |
| Antiviral prophylaxis | 168 | 8.3% |
| Prophylaxis against HIV infection | 95 | 4.7% |
| Antiretroviral therapy | 82 | 4% |
| Maternal exposure timing unspecified | 74 | 3.7% |
| Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome | 39 | 1.9% |
The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 2,026 reports.
In context
| Measure | Retrovir | Human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor | All reports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reports as suspect product | 2,026 | 80,988 | 20,646,523 |
| Share of that pool | — | 2.5% | 0% |
| Reports, latest 12 months | 11 | — | 1,332,454 |
| Marked serious | 93.7% | 84.3% | 57.4% |
| Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports | 77 | 66 | 91 |
| Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports | 373 | 167 | 213 |
| Consumer-filed share | 25.4% | 18.9% | 45.8% |
| Top term, share of reports | Foetal exposure during pregnancy 26.5% | median 3.6% | 0.4% |
Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."
Other drugs in the human immunodeficiency virus nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor class
| Drug | Name type | Reports | Latest 12 months | Marked serious |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Truvada | brand | 38,638 | 844 | 85.7% |
| Zidovudine | generic | 8,510 | 121 | 95% |
| Biktarvy | brand | 6,739 | 677 | 54.7% |
| Complera | brand | 6,535 | 95 | 86.9% |
| Emtricitabine | generic | 3,870 | 73 | 97.7% |
| Abacavir | generic | 3,867 | 108 | 95.3% |
| Emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate | generic | 3,518 | 5 | 98% |
| Descovy | brand | 3,123 | 318 | 46.3% |
| Ziagen | brand | 1,554 | 7 | 90.3% |
| Odefsey | brand | 1,035 | 33 | 51.9% |
| Abacavir sulfate | generic | 840 | 66 | 98% |
| Emtriva | brand | 733 | 9 | 94.3% |
Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.
Questions about Retrovir reports
How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Retrovir?
2,026 reports list Retrovir as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 11 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 904 list it only as a concomitant medication.
What reactions are recorded in Retrovir reports?
foetal exposure during pregnancy (26.5%), drug exposure during pregnancy (19.4%), anaemia (11.4%), premature baby (9.3%) and neutropenia (5.5%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Retrovir was responsible.
How serious are the reports?
93.7% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 7.7% of reports include death and 37.3% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.
Who files these reports?
other health professional (34.9%), physician (25.5%) and consumer or non-health professional (25.4%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.
Are reports for Retrovir rising?
11 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 45% from 20 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.
Do these reports show that Retrovir was responsible for these reactions?
No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.
Is this a list of the side effects of Retrovir?
No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.
How do I report an adverse event?
Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.
Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Retrovir as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (904) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.
Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.