Here you’ll find 47 Medications that start with R that begin with R, organized from “rabeprazole” to “ruxolitinib”. Many are used for heart, stomach, infectious and inflammatory conditions worldwide.
[Medications that start with R] are commonly prescribed drugs whose generic names begin with the letter “R”. Rabeprazole is a notable example, widely used for reflux and other acid-related stomach problems.
Below you’ll find the table with Generic name, Drug class, Uses, Common side effects
Generic name: You see the official generic name, which helps you find consistent information across countries and brands.
Drug class: Shows the drug’s therapeutic group so you understand its general action and compare related treatments quickly.
Uses: Lists common conditions the medication treats, helping you identify why a doctor might prescribe it.
Common side effects: Summarizes typical side effects so you know what to watch for and can discuss concerns with your clinician.
Last updated: September 28, 2025
Medical disclaimer: This page provides general information and does not replace professional medical advice.
Medications that start with R
| Name | Brand names | Drug class | Common uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| rabeprazole | AcipHex; Pariet | Proton pump inhibitor | GERD; ulcers |
| raloxifene | Evista | Selective estrogen receptor modulator | Osteoporosis prevention; breast cancer risk reduction |
| raltegravir | Isentress | Integrase inhibitor (antiretroviral) | HIV treatment |
| ramelteon | Rozerem | Melatonin receptor agonist | Insomnia (sleep-onset) |
| ramipril | Altace | ACE inhibitor | High blood pressure; heart failure; post-heart attack |
| ramucirumab | Cyramza | Monoclonal antibody; VEGF receptor antagonist | Various advanced cancers |
| ranibizumab | Lucentis | Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (ophthalmic) | Wet age-related macular degeneration |
| ranolazine | Ranexa | Antianginal agent | Chronic angina |
| rasagiline | Azilect | MAO-B inhibitor | Parkinson’s disease |
| rasburicase | Elitek | Recombinant urate oxidase | Tumor lysis syndrome prevention |
| raltitrexed | Tomudex | Antimetabolite chemotherapy | Colorectal cancer |
| relugolix | Orgovyx; Myfembree (combo) | GnRH receptor antagonist | Advanced prostate cancer; uterine fibroids (combo) |
| remdesivir | Veklury | Antiviral (nucleotide analog) | Severe COVID-19 |
| remifentanil | Ultiva | Ultra‑short‑acting opioid analgesic | Procedural anesthesia analgesia |
| remimazolam | Byfavo | Benzodiazepine (ultra‑short acting) | Procedural sedation |
| rimegepant | Nurtec ODT; Vydura | CGRP receptor antagonist | Acute migraine and prevention |
| risedronate | Actonel | Bisphosphonate | Osteoporosis treatment and prevention |
| rifampin | Rifadin; Rimactane | Rifamycin antibiotic | Tuberculosis; bacterial infections |
| rifabutin | Mycobutin | Rifamycin antibiotic | TB and atypical mycobacterial infections |
| rifapentine | Priftin | Rifamycin antibiotic | Latent and active tuberculosis |
| rifaximin | Xifaxan | Nonabsorbable antibiotic | Traveler’s diarrhea; hepatic encephalopathy; IBS-D |
| ribavirin | Copegus; Rebetol | Antiviral (nucleoside analog) | Hepatitis C (with others); RSV (inhaled) |
| ribociclib | Kisqali | CDK4/6 inhibitor (anticancer) | Advanced breast cancer (HR+/HER2−) |
| rilpivirine | Edurant | NNRTI (antiretroviral) | HIV treatment |
| riluzole | Rilutek | Glutamate modulator | Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) |
| rimegepant already listed | Nurtec ODT | CGRP receptor antagonist | Acute migraine and prevention |
| rivaroxaban | Xarelto | Direct oral anticoagulant (Factor Xa inhibitor) | Prevention/treatment of clots; stroke prevention in AF |
| rivastigmine | Exelon | Cholinesterase inhibitor | Alzheimer’s disease; Parkinson’s dementia |
| rolapitant | Varubi | NK1 receptor antagonist (antiemetic) | Prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea |
| romidepsin | Istodax | Histone deacetylase inhibitor | Cutaneous/ peripheral T‑cell lymphoma |
| ropivacaine | Naropin | Local anesthetic (amide) | Regional anesthesia; nerve block |
| ropinirole | Requip | Dopamine agonist | Parkinson’s disease; restless legs syndrome |
| rocuronium | Zemuron | Nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker | Muscle relaxation for surgery/intubation |
| roflumilast | Daliresp | Phosphodiesterase‑4 inhibitor | Severe COPD (reduce exacerbations) |
| rosiglitazone | Avandia | Thiazolidinedione (antidiabetic) | Type 2 diabetes mellitus |
| rosuvastatin | Crestor | Statin (HMG‑CoA reductase inhibitor) | High cholesterol; cardiovascular risk reduction |
| rucaparib | Rubraca | PARP inhibitor (anticancer) | BRCA‑mutated ovarian and prostate cancers |
| rupatadine | Rupafin; Ryaltris (combo) | Second‑generation antihistamine | Allergic rhinitis; chronic urticaria |
| ruxolitinib | Jakafi; Jakavi | JAK1/2 inhibitor (antineoplastic) | Myelofibrosis; polycythemia vera; graft-vs-host disease |
| ritonavir | Norvir | Protease inhibitor (antiretroviral); pharmacoenhancer | HIV treatment; boosts other antivirals |
| rituximab | Rituxan; MabThera | Anti‑CD20 monoclonal antibody | Lymphoma; autoimmune diseases (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) |
| risperidone | Risperdal | Atypical antipsychotic | Schizophrenia; bipolar disorder; irritability in autism |
| risankizumab | Skyrizi | Anti‑IL‑23 monoclonal antibody | Moderate‑to‑severe plaque psoriasis |
| repaglinide | Prandin | Meglitinide (antidiabetic) | Type 2 diabetes mellitus (postprandial glucose) |
| regorafenib | Stivarga | Multikinase inhibitor (anticancer) | Colorectal and gastrointestinal stromal cancers |
| reslizumab | Cinqair; Cinqaero | Anti‑IL‑5 monoclonal antibody | Severe eosinophilic asthma |
Descriptions
rabeprazole
Oral proton-pump inhibitor used for acid reflux and ulcers; watch long-term use risks like low magnesium and increased fracture risk.
raloxifene
Oral tablet to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and lower breast cancer risk; may increase blood clot risk.
raltegravir
Oral antiretroviral for HIV; generally well tolerated but can cause muscle pain and rare liver issues.
ramelteon
Oral sleep medicine targeting melatonin receptors; non-habit forming but can cause daytime drowsiness and hormonal changes.
ramipril
Oral blood-pressure medicine that helps heart function; can cause cough and rarely angioedema; avoid in pregnancy.
ramucirumab
IV cancer therapy that blocks blood-vessel growth to tumors; risk of bleeding and wound-healing problems.
ranibizumab
Injected into the eye for macular degeneration; can cause eye infection, bleeding, or increased eye pressure.
ranolazine
Oral medicine for chronic chest pain; may prolong QT interval and interact with many drugs.
rasagiline
Oral Parkinson’s medicine; may interact with certain antidepressants and foods containing tyramine.
rasburicase
IV enzyme to lower uric acid in chemotherapy patients; can cause allergic reactions and hemolysis in G6PD deficiency.
raltitrexed
IV chemotherapy for colorectal cancer; can cause severe bone marrow suppression and liver toxicity.
relugolix
Oral hormone blocker used alone or in combination; may cause hot flashes and bone-density loss with long-term use.
remdesivir
IV antiviral for hospitalized COVID-19 patients; monitor liver and kidney function during treatment.
remifentanil
IV opioid used during surgery for short, intense pain control; risk of respiratory depression and dependence.
remimazolam
IV sedative for short procedures; rapid recovery but can depress breathing and blood pressure.
rimegepant
Oral fast-dissolving tablet for migraine; may cause nausea and interactions with CYP3A4 inhibitors.
risedronate
Oral (or IV) bone-strengthening drug; take upright to avoid esophageal irritation; rare jaw bone necrosis risk.
rifampin
Oral or IV antibiotic vital for TB; potently interacts with many drugs and can cause orange discoloration of body fluids.
rifabutin
Oral antibiotic used in mycobacterial disease; may cause neutropenia and many drug interactions.
rifapentine
Oral long-acting TB antibiotic used in certain regimens; interacts with many drugs and can decrease their effectiveness.
rifaximin
Oral gut-directed antibiotic with minimal absorption; can cause nausea and rare allergic reactions.
ribavirin
Oral or inhaled antiviral; causes severe birth defects — strictly contraindicated in pregnancy.
ribociclib
Oral cancer targeted therapy; can prolong QT interval and suppress bone marrow.
rilpivirine
Oral antiretroviral for HIV; may be less effective with high viral load and can cause depressive symptoms.
riluzole
Oral tablet slowing ALS progression modestly; monitor liver enzymes for hepatotoxicity.
rimegepant already listed
Duplicate entry removed to avoid redundancy.
rivaroxaban
Oral anticoagulant; lowers clot risk but increases bleeding risk; reversal agents available.
rivastigmine
Oral patch or tablet to help cognition; may cause nausea and bradycardia.
rolapitant
Oral or IV antiemetic for delayed nausea; interacts with some drugs via CYP pathways.
romidepsin
IV chemotherapy for certain lymphomas; can cause low blood counts and ECG changes.
ropivacaine
Injected for regional/local anesthesia; monitor for signs of systemic toxicity like seizures or cardiac effects.
ropinirole
Oral medicine for Parkinson’s and RLS; can cause sleepiness, impulse-control problems.
rocuronium
IV paralytic used in anesthesia; requires airway support and monitoring of breathing.
roflumilast
Oral tablet for COPD to reduce flare-ups; can cause weight loss, depression, and GI side effects.
rosiglitazone
Oral diabetes drug improving insulin sensitivity; may increase heart-failure risk in susceptible patients.
rosuvastatin
Oral cholesterol medicine; can cause muscle pain and rare liver enzyme elevations.
rucaparib
Oral targeted cancer therapy; can cause anemia and increase risk of other malignancies rarely.
rupatadine
Oral antihistamine used for allergies; generally non‑sedating but may cause headache.
ruxolitinib
Oral targeted therapy for blood disorders; increases infection risk and blood-count abnormalities.
ritonavir
Oral protease inhibitor often used to boost other HIV drugs; potent drug interactions and GI side effects.
rituximab
IV or subcutaneous biologic that depletes B cells; risk of infusion reactions and infections.
risperidone
Oral or injectable antipsychotic; can cause weight gain, metabolic changes, and movement disorders.
risankizumab
Subcutaneous biologic for psoriasis; may increase infection risk.
repaglinide
Oral short-acting insulin secretagogue taken with meals; risk of hypoglycemia.
regorafenib
Oral targeted cancer drug; can cause hypertension, hand-foot skin reaction, and liver toxicity.
reslizumab
IV biologic reducing eosinophilic asthma attacks; can cause infusion reactions and throat pain.