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Cidofovir Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of cidofovir include off label use, adenovirus infection, and acute kidney injury, based on 1,580 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 16.7% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Cidofovir side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for cidofovir.

1
Off Label Use21.6%342
2
Drug Ineffective16.7%264
3
Adenovirus Infection8.6%136
4
Acute Kidney Injury8.5%135
5
Drug Resistance8.5%134
6
Bk Virus Infection7.0%110
7
Drug Ineffective For Unapproved Indication6.2%98
8
Product Use In Unapproved Indication6.1%96
9
Renal Impairment5.9%93
10
Cytomegalovirus Infection5.3%84
11
Cystitis Haemorrhagic4.5%71
12
Viral Haemorrhagic Cystitis4.5%71
13
Renal Failure4.1%65
14
Nephropathy Toxic4.1%65
15
Cytomegalovirus Infection Reactivation4.0%63

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that cidofovir caused these reactions.

Report severity

94.2%Serious1,489 reports
36.1%Hospitalizations570 reports
26.6%Fatal420 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Cidofovir drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside cidofovir. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Tacrolimus20.2%319
2
Ganciclovir19.6%309
3
Foscarnet-sodium19.1%301
4
Cyclosporine15.2%240
5
Mycophenolate13.7%216
6
Cyclophosphamide9.6%151
7
Methylprednisolone9.2%145
8
Fludarabine-phosphate9.1%143
9
Prednisone7.8%124
10
Rituximab7.7%121
11
Methotrexate7.0%111
12
Acyclovir6.1%96
13
Prednisolone5.1%80
14
Ruxolitinib4.2%67
15
Dexamethasone4.1%64

Taken alongside

1
Ganciclovir12.2%193
2
Probenecid11.3%179
3
Acyclovir9.5%150
4
Methylprednisolone8.8%139
5
Tacrolimus8.7%137
6
Foscarnet-sodium8.6%136
7
Prednisone7.9%125
8
Vancomycin6.9%109
9
Mycophenolate6.7%106
10
Cyclosporine5.8%91
11
Meropenem5.6%89
12
Fludarabine-phosphate5.6%89
13
Acetaminophen5.6%88
14
Sulfamethoxazole5.5%87
15
Cyclophosphamide4.7%74

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports cidofovir side effects

39.0% of cidofovir adverse event reports involve female patients and 45.5% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 54%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female39.0%
Male45.5%
Unknown15.5%

Age group

< 26.5%
2–1119.1%
12–1710.9%
18–6454.0%
65+9.6%

What is cidofovir used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking cidofovir when the adverse event was reported.

Accidental Exposure To ProductAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAcute Respiratory Distress SyndromeAdenoviral EncephalitisAdenoviral Haemorrhagic CystitisAdenoviral HepatitisAdenoviral Upper Respiratory InfectionAdenovirus InfectionAdenovirus ReactivationAntiretroviral TherapyAntiviral ProphylaxisAntiviral TreatmentAcute Kidney InjuryAcute Lymphocytic LeukaemiaAcute Myeloid Leukaemia

Showing 15 of 202 indications

Cidofovir brand names and reporting trend

Cidofovir is sold under the brand name Vistide.

Brand names

Vistide1,873

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking cidofovir with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.