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Misoprostol

  • Prescription medicine
  • Prescription only
  • Identity checked
  • Sources last checked 2026-09-04

This page shows what was measured, who it was measured in, and what that does not settle.

What Misoprostol does in the body

Reducing the risk of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin)–induced gastric ulcers

From the FDA-approved label: Diclofenac sodium and misoprostol delayed-release tablets are a combination product containing diclofenac sodium, an NSAID with analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties, and misoprostol, a GI mucosal protective prostaglandin-1 (PGE1) analog. Diclofenac The mechanism of action of diclofenac, like that of other NSAIDs, is not completely understood but involves inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2). Diclofenac is a potent inhibitor of prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in vitro . Diclofenac concentrations reached during therapy have produced in vivo effects. Prostaglandins sensitize afferent nerves and potentiate the action of bradykinin in inducing pain in animal models.

What happened in people

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

A fixed RNAWiki sentence

Where this came from

Wording RNAWiki always uses, not a finding about this substance.

No reviewed claim names a result for any goal on this record.

No source is stored against this line.

The limit that matters most

Not recorded.

Where it acts
Not recorded.
Kind of result
No result is published, so no kind of result applies yet
Supervision
Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

What the registries record it as

  • The substance registry classes this as chemical.

    FDA substance registry · 0E43V0BB57 · read 2026-08-29

Where each sentence above came from

The recorded explanation is written in label language rather than for a beginner. The page opens with what it is taken for instead, and the recorded explanation follows below.

Shown as the opening line on this page.

No statement of the main limit is recorded.

The four opening statements run to 121 words.

Words this page uses

Four words worth knowing first

Chosen from what this page shows, with each one explained before the word it depends on.

Stand-in result

A stand-in result is a number measured because the real result takes too long.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

It is like judging a journey by the speedometer rather than by arriving.

Where that stops being true. Speed does predict arrival. Many stand-in results do not predict the real one.

What people get wrong. A stand-in result is often reported as the result itself.

A surrogate endpoint substituted for a clinical endpoint, valid only where the substitution has been shown to hold.

Enzyme

An enzyme is a protein that speeds up one chemical change.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

An enzyme is like a machine on a production line doing one cut.

Where that stops being true. A machine is switched on and off by a person. Enzymes are controlled by the cell.

What people get wrong. Enzymes are thought to be used up. They are not; they work again and again.

A catalytic protein that lowers the activation energy of a specific reaction.

Receptor

A receptor is a part of a cell that a signal fits into.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A receptor is like a lock waiting for one key.

Where that stops being true. A lock either opens or does not. A receptor can be half-triggered, or worn out.

What people get wrong. Fitting a receptor is read as causing a benefit. It causes a step, and nothing more.

A protein that binds a specific ligand and converts that binding into a cellular response.

Pathway

A pathway is a chain of steps inside a cell, each one setting off the next.

A picture of it, and where the picture fails

A pathway is like a row of dominoes.

Where that stops being true. Dominoes fall one way. Pathways loop back and can switch themselves off.

What people get wrong. Changing one step is read as changing the outcome. Other steps often absorb it.

An ordered series of molecular interactions producing a defined cellular change.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What was measured, goal by goal

One row for each goal a registered study measured something for. One column for each kind of thing that could be measured.

Registered studies list 40 outcome measures that RNAWiki could read. A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. 0 of the matched studies tested this substance, and 0 posted a result.

There is no single score. A strong test result and a weak life result are different facts.

Goals down the side, kinds of measurement across the top. Each cell says what kind of thing was registered, not what was found.
GoalLife outcomeWhat a body can doHow a person feelsA test resultA step in the bodyHarmsHow longWho was studied
PainNothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a performance measure for this goal.Waiting for a reviewer1 registered symptom measure.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a test result for this goal.Nothing in the sources checkedNo registered study lists a body-step measure for this goal.Not recordedHarms were not a registered measure for this goal.Not recordedNo finished study window is recorded.Waiting for a reviewerWho was studied is listed further down the page.
Which registered measures put each goal on this table
Pain
pain

Sorted by fixed word lists, version v1. A name the rules do not recognise stays unsorted rather than moving to the nearest column.

What each mark on this table means
Nothing in the sources checked
No registered study lists a life outcome for this goal.
Waiting for a reviewer
1 registered symptom measure.
Not recorded
Harms were not a registered measure for this goal.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What happened in people

Each card is one study: the exact question it asked, who was in it, and whether it showed what it set out to show.

The Primary Outcome is a Composite of the Following Three Clinical Outcomes: 1) Severe PPH Defined as Blood Loss ≥1000 ml or; 2) Postpartum Laparotomy for Bleeding or; 3) Postpartum Maternal Death From Bleeding. Please See Below for Further Details.

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT04341662
How many people
99659
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

All-cause neonatal mortality

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT04798833
How many people
19344
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
Living longer, or avoiding a major event
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Facility births

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT03024905
How many people
17000
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Percentage of Participants With Clinically Significant Upper and/or Lower Gastrointestinal Events (CSULGIEs)

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT00373685
How many people
8067
Study design
Phase 4
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Number of cases identified as having excessive bleeding

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT02853552
How many people
4330
Study design
Phase 4
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Difference in differences: change in use of oxytocin for prevention of postpartum hemorrhage

The study did not show it

Who was studied
NCT03254628
How many people
3440
Study design
Not applicable
Compared against
Not recorded for this study
Kind of result
A number that stands in for health
What was found
Result not recorded on this page
Repeated elsewhere
Unreplicated

What this does not prove. A study that did not show an effect does not show that no effect exists anywhere.

The limits of this study, and where it came from

Main limit. No limitation is recorded for this study.

How far it carries. This study is recorded from the curated record, not from the registry match.

Form and route. Oral

Interval reported. Not recorded in this summary

Written into the record, not signed off as a reviewed claim.

  • openFDA Drugs@FDA · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA NDC Directory · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • openFDA SPL label · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
  • PubChem PUG-REST · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot
What we know
RNAWiki holds 6 written-up human studies for this substance, each with the question it asked.
How we know it
Each card names the study, the number of people and what the study set out to measure.
What this does not prove
These summaries were written by a person and have not been signed off as reviewed claims.
Why it matters
A study that failed is as informative as one that worked, and both are here.
What we still do not know
No reviewed claim exists, so no exact population, effect size or interval is published yet.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How close this is to real life

The top step is something a person would feel or care about. The bottom is a guess from software. Filled steps are where evidence exists for this substance.

  1. Living longer, or avoiding a major event No evidence recorded. Death, a heart attack, a stroke, a hospital stay.0 registered measures of this kind. 1 written-up study measured this and did not show a benefit.
  2. What a body can do day to day No evidence recorded. Walking, dressing, breathing, recovering.No registered study measures this.
  3. Measured performance No evidence recorded. How much was lifted, how far was run, how fast.No registered study measures this.
  4. Symptoms and quality of life Evidence recorded. Pain, tiredness, mood, sleep, as the person rated it.2 registered measures of this kind.
  5. A number that stands in for health Evidence recorded. Cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density. A stand-in, not the thing itself.3 registered measures of this kind.
  6. A step measured inside a person Evidence recorded. Something measured in human tissue or human cells.A human record sits on the stored organism ladder.
  7. Animals Evidence recorded. Mice, rats, dogs. Useful for ideas, not proof about people.Stored records in Mouse, Rat. A result in animals says what to test next. It does not say what happens in people.
  8. Cells in a dish No evidence recorded. Cells or chemistry on a bench, far from a whole body.No cell or bench record is stored.
  9. A guess from software No evidence recorded. Nobody measured it. RNAWiki never publishes one as a finding.RNAWiki stores no prediction for this record. Software can suggest a link. RNAWiki does not publish one as a finding.

Higher on these steps means closer to something a person would feel. It does not mean better done.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Felt, measured, or meaningful

Three different things that get called the same word. Registered studies measured all three, and mixing them is how a blood test becomes a health claim.

Felt

Things a person could notice without a test.

  • pain
  • swiss spinal stenosis questionnaire

Measured

Things only a test, a scale or a device shows.

  • hemoglobin
  • changes in hemoglobin levels after delivery
  • pre and post delivery haemoglobin

Meaningful

Things that change how a life goes, not only a number.

No registered study measured anything of this kind.

A registered study says what someone planned to measure. It does not say what they found. A number moving is not the same as a life going better. The two are shown apart here.

Felt, but not shown to help. A person notices a change. No study showed it leads anywhere good.

Measured, but not felt. A number moves. The person notices nothing. Both can be true.

Measured, but not shown to matter. A number moves in the good direction. Nobody showed that lives went better.

Matters, but takes years. The result that counts may take longer than anyone would keep watching.

Names that fit none of the three (35)
  • placental retention rate
  • postpartum hemorrhage
  • caesarean section rate
  • primary efficacy variable will be bleeding profile
  • vaginal delivery rates
  • time to resolution
  • hematocrit
  • side effects
  • complete abortion without recourse to surgical intervention
  • uterine tachysystole
  • vaginal delivery
  • cesarean section
  • complete miscarriage
  • cesarean birth rate
  • rate of induction to delivery
  • operative blood loss
  • blood loss
  • amount of blood loss
  • complete abortion rate
  • intraoperative bleeding

These are harms, study-process measures, or names the rules did not recognise. They are shown rather than dropped.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Were people like you studied?

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it, and where the result stops carrying.

Who was studied

People similar to this profile were included.

  • Misoprostol is indicated for reducing the risk of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including aspirin)–induced gastric ulcers in patients at high risk of complications from gastric ulcer, e.g., the elderly and patients with concomitant debilitating disease, as well as patients at high risk of developing gastric ulceration, such as patients with a history of ulcer.

Who is missing from the studies

  • Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What the label states about particular groups

  • On pediatric, the label states: “Safety and effectiveness of Cytotec in pediatric patients have not been established.”

    US prescribing information · 4ab12da7-5731-4e06-bf1c-bc3f2e711f12 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are pregnant, the label states: “Teratogenic effects See boxed WARNINGS .”

    US prescribing information · 4ab12da7-5731-4e06-bf1c-bc3f2e711f12 · read 2026-08-30

  • On people who are breastfeeding, the label states: “Misoprostol is rapidly metabolized in the mother to misoprostol acid, which is biologically active and is excreted in breast milk.”

    US prescribing information · 4ab12da7-5731-4e06-bf1c-bc3f2e711f12 · read 2026-08-30

Where the result stopped carrying

  • This is a scope explorer, not a diagnosis engine.
  • It shows who was studied so you can see whether people similar to you were included.

RNAWiki cannot tell whether a study fits you. It can show who was in it.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Why it might seem to do nothing

A real effect and a noticed effect are different things. These are the recorded reasons the two come apart.

It was studied for a different goal

The studies measured something else entirely.

On this record: Some registered studies measured things that match no goal on this page.

It was studied in different people

The people in the studies were not much like the reader.

On this record: Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

The evidence may simply be wrong

Small early studies often do not hold up.

On this record: RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Other reasons RNAWiki checked and found nothing for (10)
A different form was studied
The studied form is not the form on the shelf. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
There was nothing to correct
Where a level is already normal, topping it up may change nothing. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else had to happen too
In the studies it was paired with training, a diet or another treatment. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The change is too small to feel
A real change can still sit below what a person notices. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Day-to-day swing hides it
Sleep, food, stress and time of day move most numbers more than this would. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Not enough time yet
The studies ran longer than the person has waited. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
It was not taken as studied
Missed days change the result, and studies count them. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
Something else changed at the same time
Two changes at once cannot be told apart afterwards. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
The product may not be what it says
Contents of a sold product are not always what the label states. Nothing in this record points to this reason.
No recorded reason
RNAWiki has nothing stored that would explain it. Nothing in this record points to this reason.

None of these is a reason to take more. Taking more is not a step this page ever suggests.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What taking it involves

The recorded facts about getting hold of it and using it. Nothing here is a suggestion about what you should do.

How it is supplied

Prescription only

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Read from the recorded approval status.

No source is stored against this line.

Form and route

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form and route recorded on this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

Who oversees it

Professional supervision is normally required. A regulator classifies this substance in a way that restricts how it is supplied.

Quoted from a source

Where this came from

Copied from a source RNAWiki stored, with the source named.

Suppression classes recorded: S3.

No source is stored against this line.

What is in the pack

Sold as tablet, delayed release, tablet, tablet, film coated, liquid, given by the oral, topical route.

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

Recorded notes on how this is sold and what that means for what is in the pack.

No source is stored against this line.

Where it is registered

Regulatory records are listed in the technical disclosure at the foot of this page.

Counted from records

Where this came from

A count of rows RNAWiki holds. It describes our records, not your body.

Register entries are stored per jurisdiction and shown with their dates.

No source is stored against this line.

Why people stop

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

No record of why people stopped taking it is stored for this substance.

No source is stored against this line.

What it would be like to takeNothing found in the sources checked

What can go wrong

Sorted by where each line came from. A regulator's label and a report somebody sent in are not the same kind of fact.

Nothing found in the sources checked

No harm is recorded against this substance in the sources RNAWiki checked. Finding nothing is not the same as showing there is nothing.

The sources listed were searched and held nothing. That is not the same as nothing existing.

Reports sent to a regulator

  • These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction.
  • Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing.
  • The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete.
  • News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report.
  • A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Misoprostol appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 4534 reaction mentions were counted. One report can name several reactions.

The recorded terms (10)
  • haemorrhage — 1073 reaction mentions
  • abortion incomplete — 1034 reaction mentions
  • pregnancy — 414 reaction mentions
  • anaemia — 397 reaction mentions
  • pain — 345 reaction mentions
  • muscle spasms — 298 reaction mentions
  • drug hypersensitivity — 293 reaction mentions
  • dizziness — 233 reaction mentions
  • menorrhagia — 225 reaction mentions
  • pyrexia — 222 reaction mentions
  • open-targets-adr · recorded 2026-06-24 · a recorded source, not a stored snapshot

Over a long time. No completed tested study window is recorded, so long-term effects are not established by the registry record.

Groups the studies covered thinly. Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded for this substance. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, and people with liver or kidney conditions are commonly excluded from trials; nothing here says whether they were.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Does the exact form matter?

Evidence belongs to the exact thing that was tested. A different salt, a different mixture or a different preparation is a different question.

The form that was studied

Oral

Source-linked record

Where this came from

A person wrote this into the record with the study named beside it. No reviewer has signed it off.

The form used in the studies cited on this page.

No source is stored against this line.

What is sold

Not recorded.

Nothing recorded

Where this came from

RNAWiki holds nothing here and says so rather than guessing.

Nothing further is recorded about which forms are sold.

No source is stored against this line.

What is recorded as being sold

  • 63 products list this as an active ingredient in the United States drug directory. 37 of them contain it and nothing else.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71335-9631 · read 2026-08-29

  • They are sold as liquid, powder, tablet, tablet, delayed release and tablet, film coated, taken oral and topical.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71335-9631 · read 2026-08-29

  • The regulator's established pharmacologic class for it is prostaglandin e1 analog [epc], prostaglandins e and synthetic [cs].

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71335-9631 · read 2026-08-29

  • 37 published labels name it as an active ingredient. 20 of them describe this substance alone, which is where its own label text on this page comes from.

    US prescribing information · 9462d969-d3e5-4e7f-b556-bd647ab28c42 · read 2026-08-29

  • Those labels are classed as human otc drug and human prescription drug.

    US prescribing information · 9462d969-d3e5-4e7f-b556-bd647ab28c42 · read 2026-08-29

  • Cytotec is oral at HOW SUPPLIED Cytotec 100-mcg tablets are white, round, with SEARLE debossed on one side and 1451 on the other side; supplied as: NDC Number Size 0025-1451-60 unit-of-use bottle of 60 Cytotec 200-mcg tablets are white, h…, recorded as fda label in effect 2026-06-04 in the United States.

    US prescribing information · 4ab12da7-5731-4e06-bf1c-bc3f2e711f12 · read 2026-08-30

  • Recorded price in US: 0.48163–0.73379 USD per one unit as the pricing file counts it — a tablet, capsule, patch or single item, across 17 priced products whose strengths and pack forms differ, as of 2026-08-26, paid by retail pharmacies buying the product, as surveyed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is not a list price, an insurance price, or what anyone pays at a counter..

    Recorded source · 2026-08-26 · read 2026-08-28

Evidence carries across two names for one substance. It does not carry across a salt, a mirror form or a mixture.

What it would be like to takeRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What you could measure

This one is decided with a clinician, so this section holds questions to ask rather than a plan to run.

Self-experiment planning is not offered for a prescription or clinician-supervised medicine. The questions below are for a clinician or pharmacist.

Questions worth asking

  • Which of the trials of Misoprostol studied people like me?
  • What was measured, and for how long?
  • Was the result a laboratory value or a health outcome?
  • What would we watch for, and when would we stop?

Tracking can show whether something changed for you. It cannot show what caused it.

RNAWiki records evidence. It does not say whether this substance is right for you.

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What nobody knows yet

Open questions, each with why it is open and what would close it.

Missing populations

Which groups were under-represented in the studies has not been recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing long-term data

No completed tested study window is recorded.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

No reviewed conclusion

RNAWiki has not yet published a reviewed conclusion for this use.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Missing interaction studies

No interaction was found in the registers checked. Not finding one is not the same as showing there is none.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Formulation uncertainty

Several salts, forms or products of Misoprostol are recorded. Results from one form may not transfer to another.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

Mechanism not reviewed

No reviewed mechanism story exists for this substance.

Why it matters. Recorded by the evidence model as a gap on this record.

What would answer it

A study that measures it, and a reviewer to sign it off.

Last checked 2026-09-04. Searched: The sources listed in the receipts at the foot of this page.

What happened in peopleRead from sources, not yet reviewed

Check any of this yourself

Every line above traced back to the study it came from. This is the technical layer, and the vocabulary changes here.

How many documents were read

  • 19 documents were read for this substance.

    RNAWiki source record

  • 19 of them state the same proteinBinding, and they agree.

    RNAWiki source record

Where else this substance is registered

FDA substance identifier (UNII)
0E43V0BB57
RxNorm concept
311727

Checks this page had to pass

  • Passed

    Identity resolved

    no open identity hold

  • Passed

    No unresolved merge across substance families

    no quarantine open

  • Passed

    Every public sentence names a source

    The opening statement carries the origin: Written into the record, not signed off.

  • Not passed

    Trial roles classified for highlighted evidence

    No registered study is classified as testing this substance.

  • Passed

    No internal keys in reader text

    enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

  • Passed

    Safety mode resolved

    Suppression classes recorded: S3.

  • Passed

    Canonical metadata present

    slug and display name present

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

How this medicine reached us

Kept near the foot of the page. A historical event moves up only when it changes something about this substance today.

What the approval register records

  • 13 approved applications cover products containing this substance. The earliest was NDA019268, approved 19881227 to PFIZER.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA019268 · read 2026-08-29

  • Marketing status on the register: discontinued and prescription.

    Drugs@FDA application register · NDA019268 · read 2026-08-29

  • The earliest marketing start date recorded for a listed product is 19861227.

    FDA National Drug Code directory · 71335-9631 · read 2026-08-29

What is missing or unclearRead from sources, not yet reviewed

What to learn next

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What is not here

6 questions this page could not answer

These sections were prepared and left out because there was nothing to put in them. They are listed rather than hidden, so the gaps in this record are visible.

  • The path through the body — found nothing in the sources checked.
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  • Other ways to the same goal — found nothing in the sources checked.
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The record as stored

The full record, for auditing

Everything above is built from what is below. This layer keeps the technical vocabulary, record identifiers and every stored row, so a reader who wants to check the page can.

Recorded evidence blocks (10)

What did Misoprostol's largest trial (4330 people) and its longest (9.4 years) measure?


4330 people in Misoprostol's largest registered study, 9.4 years in its longest registered window, measuring AUC480 (the area under the curve of serum concentration of misoprostol acid against time up to 480 minutes). ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

117 na, 88 phase4, 68 phase3, 59 phase2, 13 phase1, 12 na or unstated, 10 early phase1; NCT01033903; 2018-03-01; no ageing endpoint recorded. Last human test completed 2026, NCT06259097.

Interpretation These counts include studies where Misoprostol was a comparison treatment, a background treatment or an exposure in an observational study, and the longest window may be a planned end date. Trial roles have not yet been classified for this record.

Show the evidence
  • na
    117
  • phase4
    88
  • phase3
    68
  • phase2
    59
  • phase1
    13
  • na or unstated
    12
2 more recorded rows
  • early phase1
    10
  • Last recorded human test NCT06259097
    2026-08-10

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

From mouse to human: where has Misoprostol shown biomarker?


mouse: mechanism-only, rat: mechanism-only and human: biomarker (344): the rungs where Misoprostol has a recorded finding. Europe PMC and ClinicalTrials.gov · organism ladder · 2026-09-01

AUC480 (the area under the curve of serum concentration of misoprostol acid against time up to 480 minutes) — the recorded outcome words.

Yeast C. elegans Drosophila Mouse mechanism-onlyRat mechanism-onlyDog Non-human primate Human biomarker
Show the evidence
  • mouse
    mechanism-only
  • rat
    mechanism-only
  • human NCT01271257
    biomarker; AUC480 (the area under the curve of serum concentration of misoprostol acid against time up to 480 minutes); 344

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

30 of Misoprostol's trials stopped: safety, futility/efficacy, accrual/recruitment, funding/business, sponsor decision unspecified, other?


safety (2), futility/efficacy (1), accrual/recruitment (14), funding/business (5), sponsor decision unspecified (1) and other (7): Misoprostol's stop wording, clustered. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

"Difficulty recruiting"; 30 of 344 registered studies

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT00141895
    terminated; "Difficulty recruiting"
  • NCT00383942
    terminated; "Change in treatment plan for this population terminated the project"
  • NCT00514618
    terminated; "Poor enrollment"
  • NCT00953641
    withdrawn; "Principle Investigator retired, Resident moved away"
  • NCT01113229
    terminated; "reason of halt prematurely: futility of the trial"
  • NCT01134926
    terminated; "The principal investigator left the organization"
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT01422226
    terminated; "Unable to recruit participants"
  • NCT01436266
    terminated; "Slow enrollment"
  • NCT01519765
    terminated; "Poor Enrollment"
  • NCT01615224
    terminated; "No funding"
  • NCT01636063
    terminated; "Poor subject enrollment"
  • NCT01818414
    terminated; "Concerns for safety"
  • NCT02209545
    terminated; "The study was prematurely closed due to low enrollment rates."
  • NCT02342002
    terminated; "lack of funding"
  • NCT02534883
    terminated; "not able to meet enrollment"
  • NCT02546193
    terminated; "Unable to recruit/accrue adequate numbers of participants within funding period."
  • NCT02573051
    withdrawn; "no participants"
  • NCT02633761
    terminated; "Lack of funding"
  • NCT02679092
    withdrawn; "Funding changes."
  • NCT02704481
    terminated; "Funding mechanism compromised"

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Human studies of Misoprostol used Cytotec, one quarter of a 0.100mg tablet — over how long?


studies of Misoprostol used the recorded amount. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

20 recorded entries; human; tablet, orally, vaginal, buccal; also "Cytotec, one quarter of a 0.100mg tablet", "600 mcg misoprostol", "two misoprostol tablets taken orally (400µg"

Show the evidence

human

  • NCT00602095
    tablet; Cytotec, one quarter of a 0.100mg tablet
  • NCT00674232
    600 mcg misoprostol
  • NCT01113229
    orally; two misoprostol tablets taken orally (400µg
  • NCT01406392
    Misoprostol 25mcg
  • NCT01615224
    Cytotec 200mcg Pfizer
  • NCT01805115
    two tablets of Cytotec (200 μg)
14 more recorded rows
  • human NCT02633761
    Misoprostol 200mcg
  • human NCT03064568
    Misoprostol 200Mcg Tab
  • human NCT03523754
    Misoprostol 25Mcg
  • human NCT03744364
    Misoprostol 25 mcg
  • human NCT03829696
    Misoprostol 800 mcg
  • human NCT04595812
    vaginal; Misoprostol 200mcg Tab vaginal
  • human NCT05088720
    misoprostol 800 µg
  • human NCT05088720
    misoprostol 400 µg
  • human NCT05103098
    misoprostol 400 mcg
  • human NCT05103098
    misoprostol 800 mcg
  • human NCT05857059
    Misoprostol 50 mcg
  • human NCT06078501
    buccal; Misoprostol 400mcg buccal
  • human NCT06114758
    Cytotec 200Mcg Tablet
  • human NCT06970483
    Misoprostol 200mcg Tab

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of amount of bleeding, amount of blood loss and amplitude of contraction did Misoprostol's trials measure?


amount of bleeding, amount of blood loss and amplitude of contraction lead 40 outcome terms across Misoprostol's trials. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Interpretation primary efficacy variable will be bleeding profile, vaginal delivery rates, time to resolution, hematocrit, side effects and complete abortion without recourse to surgical intervention follow.

Show the evidence
  • placental retention rate
    1
  • postpartum hemorrhage
    1
  • caesarean section rate
    1
  • primary efficacy variable will be bleeding profile
    1
  • vaginal delivery rates
    1
  • time to resolution
    1
14 more recorded rows
  • hematocrit
    1
  • side effects
    1
  • complete abortion without recourse to surgical intervention
    1
  • uterine tachysystole
    1
  • vaginal delivery
    1
  • cesarean section
    1
  • complete miscarriage
    1
  • cesarean birth rate
    1
  • rate of induction to delivery
    1
  • operative blood loss
    1
  • blood loss
    1
  • amount of blood loss
    1
  • complete abortion rate
    1
  • intraoperative bleeding
    1

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which of Misoprostol's 17 ongoing trials reports first?


17 registered trials of Misoprostol are open; earliest completion 2025-08-01. ClinicalTrials.gov · 2026-09-01

Recurrent ulcer bleeding; cesarean section; latest 2028-11-11

Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT03675672
    "Prevention of Recurrent Ulcer Bleeding in Patients With Idiopathic Gastroduodenal Ulcer"; n 154; "Recurrent ulcer bleeding"; 2027-03-31
  • NCT05674487
    "Prostaglandins Versus Trans-cervical Balloon for Induction of Labor in Fetal Growth Restriction (PROBIN)"; n 774; "cesarean section"; 2026-12-01
  • NCT06199154
    "Induction of Labor in Morbidly Obese Patients"; n 162; "Achievement of complete cervical dilation"; 2027-05
  • NCT06270056
    "Evaluation of Telemedicine Medical Abortion Service in Ecuador"; n 100; "Adverse events (safety)"; 2025-09
  • NCT06502158
    "Mifepristone vs Misoprostol"; n 94; "Percentage of participants achieving Intended dilation"; 2027-06
  • NCT06669533
    "Use Misoprostol to Optimize Prevention of Cervical Cancer"; n 420; "Conversion rate from Type 3 transformation zone (TZ) to Types 1 or 2"; 2028-11-11
11 further recorded trials
  • NCT06765473
    "Comparison Between Preoperative Vaginal and Postoperative Sublingual Misoprostol for Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage During Cesarean Section"; n 400; "the amount of blood loss"; 2026-03-01
  • NCT06850974
    "Foley Balloon for Cervical Preparation Before Dilation and Evacuation"; n 102; "Total Procedure Time (TPT)"; 2027-03
  • NCT06874049
    "Comparison Between Vaginal Misoprostol Gel and Oral Misoprostol Solution in Induction of Labor"; n 80; "The primary outcome measure is induction to cervical ripening (Bishop score ≥6) time interval."; 2025-09
  • NCT06946914
    "Misoprostol Before Caesarean Section"; n 160; "the incidence of Transient tachypnea of the newborn which defined by increase respiratory rate more than 60 cycle per minute in pregnant women with gestational age less than 38 weeks before elective cesarean section"; 2025-08-01
  • NCT07109258
    "Effect of Dexamethasone on Labour Induction in Term Pregnancies"; n 150; "The interval between initiation of induction and beginning of the active phase of labour."; 2025-09-15
  • NCT07160855
    "Letrozole Plus Misoprostol Versus Misoprostol Alone for Treating Women With Missed Miscarriage"; n 92; "Complete abortion"; 2025-11-12
  • NCT07353281
    "Carbetocin vs Misoprostol for Postpartum Hemorrhage Prevention"; n 146; "Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)"; 2028-01-01
  • NCT07526064
    "Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Oral Versus Vaginal Misoprostol in Missed Abortion in First Trimester of Pregnancy"; n 100; "Induction to Expulsion Interval"; 2026-07-31
  • NCT07559812
    "Comparison of Vaginal PGE2 (Dinoprostone) and Vaginal Misoprostol for Induction of Labour in Primigravid Term Pregnancy"; n 240; "Successful Vaginal Delivery"; 2026-04-29
  • NCT07685756
    "Cervical Ripening Balloon Compared With Vaginal Misoprostol for Cervical Ripening in Obese Woman at Term"; n 108; "Less rate of instrumental delivery and c section"; 2027-06-01
  • NCT07690007
    "Combined Misoprostol and Cervical Balloon vs Misoprostol Alone for Induction on the First Day in Primiparas"; n 220; "Time from initiation of labor induction to delivery"; 2026-12-31

recorded 2026-09-01 · last checked 2026-09-04

Which 172 trials of Misoprostol posted no result?


Posted no result
172 of 172 completed trials
Registrations
NCT03489928, NCT00148473, NCT00107874, NCT00299754, NCT00945997 and NCT01700478, and 166 more
Completion dates
oldest 2000-12-01; newest 2024-06-15
Show the evidence

Trial

  • NCT03489928
    2000-12-01
  • NCT00148473
    2001-10
  • NCT00107874
    2002-02
  • NCT00299754
    2004-12
  • NCT00945997
    2005-03
  • NCT01700478
    2005-04
14 further recorded trials
  • NCT00129506
    2005-10
  • NCT00097123
    2005-12
  • NCT00310921
    2006-05
  • NCT00140114
    2006-09
  • NCT00426491
    2006-10
  • NCT00529295
    2007-03
  • NCT00602095
    2007-03
  • NCT00116480
    2007-04
  • NCT00324519
    2007-04
  • NCT00325026
    2007-04
  • NCT00393731
    2007-08
  • NCT00200226
    2007-09
  • NCT00124540
    2007-10
  • NCT00674232
    2007-10

At the median, Misoprostol's trials enrolled 149.5 people — anything larger?


Median enrolment
149.5
Largest enrolment
4330
Registered trials counted
342

What do 4534 spontaneous reports say about Misoprostol — and not say?


These are reports people sent to a regulator. They do not show the medicine caused the reaction. Nobody counted how many people took the medicine and reported nothing. The same event can be reported more than once, and many reports are incomplete. News coverage, lawsuits and new warnings change how often people report. A count is not a rate and not a risk.

Misoprostol appears in spontaneous reports to regulators. Across the 10 most-reported reaction terms, 4534 reaction mentions were counted: haemorrhage 1073; abortion incomplete 1034; pregnancy 414; anaemia 397. open-targets-adr · CHEMBL606 · 2026-06-24

Show the evidence
  • haemorrhage
    1073
  • abortion incomplete
    1034
  • pregnancy
    414
  • anaemia
    397
  • pain
    345
  • muscle spasms
    298
4 more recorded rows
  • drug hypersensitivity
    293
  • dizziness
    233
  • menorrhagia
    225
  • pyrexia
    222

recorded 2026-06-24 · last checked 2026-09-04

Was Misoprostol studied with fasting?


fasting is named in Misoprostol's label sentences: "Eighteen participants were randomly assigned to treatment sequences of 800 μg oral, sublingual and buccal misoprostol administered under fasting conditions, with a 7-day washout period." openfda-label+europepmc · 2016-04-22

1 recorded statement; fasting

Show the evidence
  • fasting
    Eighteen participants were randomly assigned to treatment sequences of 800 μg oral, sublingual and buccal misoprostol administered under fasting conditions, with a 7-day washout period.

recorded 2016-04-22 · last checked 2026-09-04

Where it is registered
Identifiers, relations and other names

The exact record

ChEMBL id
CHEMBL606
PubChem CID
5282381
CAS number
59122-46-2
RxCUI
42331
InChIKey
OJLOPKGSLYJEMD-URPKTTJQSA-N
Trade name
Cytotec, Misoprostol component of arthrotec, Mysodelle, Topogyne, Tobcharm Toenail Fungus Treatment Liquid, Cytotec / Tobcharm Toenail Fungus Treatment Liquid, ARTHROTEC COMPONENT MISOPROSTOL
Development code
SC-29333
Also called
angusta, misodel, misotac, mvi 100, mvi 200, oms, vaginal misoprostol, vagiprost, MISOPROSTOL [EP MONOGRAPH], MISOPROSTOL [HSDB], MISOPROSTOL [JAN], MISOPROSTOL [MART.]
Salt form
low-dose oral misoprostol, oral misoprostol, oral misoprostol solution, TOENAIL FUNGUS TREATMENT LIQUID
Sources (10)

Sources

4 more sources
  • open-targets-adr CHEMBL606 ·
  • openfda-label c4fe14fb-0a43-4c31-9cd6-29eb0d156705 ·
  • openfda-label+europepmc K1:0E43V0BB57 ·
  • national registers US, CA ·

ChEMBL ATC CC BY-SA · ClinicalTrials.gov — US Government work · Europe PMC — metadata only, under the recorded legal gate · Open Targets 26.06 — CC0 · derived from this page's own recorded fields; no external licence · mixed register set; per-register licences in docs/specs/corpus-20k-sources.md · openFDA / DailyMed — US Government work

How these records are assembled · Which registers were checked

Index-quality checks
  • identity passed: no open identity hold
  • required summary fields resolved: 5 required field(s) not terminal: Why people use it, Best-supported result, Most important common problem, Biggest unanswered question, Human evidence
  • public claims reviewed: 0 reviewed claim(s); drafts are never rendered
  • source coverage passed: 10 source rows
  • no critical contamination: no quarantine open
  • canonical metadata passed: slug and display name present
  • no raw internal fields: enforced by the copy-contract test over the rendered page

This is a record of evidence. It is not medical advice, and it does not say this substance suits you. Nothing here says any substance on RNAWiki is appropriate for a child.