Summary
Ribavirin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Measles. No registered clinical trial in this database tests Ribavirin specifically in Measles. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study. The literature layer holds 6 publications for this pair: 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 1981 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Measles ranks 11 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 18.0 (trials 0.0, literature 13.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 0 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 6 (5 clinical trial publications, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Preclinical |
| Mechanism / class | Acute management of measles: a systematic review of therapeutic strategies · Kaur A, Alaribe U, Varon J, Hassaan S, Halma M · 2026 |
| Data sources | OSMF Chronic Disease Review |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
No registered trial links Ribavirin to Measles in the current OSMF trial extract.
Published literature
- Systematic review Acute management of measles: A systematic review of therapeutic strategiesKaur A, Alaribe U, Varon J et al. · Antiviral research · 2026 · PMID 41638401
- Clinical trial publication Effects of ribavirin on measlesPal G · Journal of the Indian Medical Association · 2011 · PMID 22480102
- Clinical trial publication Pharmacokinetics and effects of ribavirin following intraventricular administration for treatment of subacute sclerosing panencephalitisHosoya M, Mori S, Tomoda A et al. · Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 2004 · PMID 15561836
- Clinical trial publication Biochemistry and clinical applications of ribavirinGilbert BE, Knight V · Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy · 1986 · PMID 2876677
- Clinical trial publication Ribavirin: a clinical overviewFernandez H, Banks G, Smith R · European journal of epidemiology · 1986 · PMID 3021519
- Clinical trial publication A double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of ribavirin in the treatment of acute measlesUylangco CV, Beroy GJ, Santiago LT et al. · Clinical therapeutics · 1981 · PMID 7008941
Mechanism and notes
Recorded mechanism or class: Acute management of measles: a systematic review of therapeutic strategies · Kaur A, Alaribe U, Varon J, Hassaan S, Halma M · 2026.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ribavirin approved for Measles?
Ribavirin has reached Preclinical as its most advanced recorded development stage across any indication, and the database holds no approval for Measles. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Ribavirin in clinical trials for Measles?
No registered clinical trial in this database tests Ribavirin specifically in Measles. The evidence below comes from published literature only, so any clinical signal has not yet been tested prospectively against this condition in a registered study.
What does the evidence show for Ribavirin in Measles?
Synthesis-level literature links Ribavirin to Measles, but no registered trial in this database tests the pair, so the evidence is observational, pooled from other indications, or pre-dates registry practice. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in OSMF Chronic Disease Review. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.