Here you’ll find 45 Medications that start with V that begin with V, organized from “vaccinia vaccine (smallpox)” to “vosoritide”. Many entries are vaccines, antivirals, or cardiovascular and metabolic medicines used commonly in clinical care around the world.
Medications that start with V are drugs whose generic names begin with the letter V. They range from historic vaccines like the vaccinia vaccine to modern targeted therapies such as vosoritide.
Below you’ll find the table with Generic name, Drug class, Common uses, Common side effects, and Brand names.
Generic name: Shows the official generic name so you can identify the medicine precisely and compare information across sources.
Drug class: Lists the therapeutic class so you can understand the medicine’s general mechanism and similar drugs at a glance.
Common uses: Summarizes primary indications so you can quickly see why the medicine is prescribed in everyday care.
Common side effects: Notes frequent side effects so you can anticipate common reactions and discuss them with your care team.
Brand names: Provides widely used brand names so you can recognize trade labels you may encounter at the pharmacy.
Medications that start with V
| Name | Brand names | Drug class | Common use(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| valacyclovir | Valtrex | Antiviral (nucleoside analog) | Herpes simplex, shingles, chickenpox |
| valproic acid | Depakene, Stavzor, Depacon | Antiepileptic, mood stabilizer | Seizures, bipolar disorder, migraine prevention |
| valsartan | Diovan | Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) | Hypertension, heart failure, post‑MI |
| vancomycin | Vancocin | Glycopeptide antibiotic | Serious Gram‑positive infections, C. difficile (oral) |
| vardenafil | Levitra, Staxyn | PDE5 inhibitor | Erectile dysfunction |
| varenicline | Chantix | Nicotine receptor partial agonist | Smoking cessation |
| varicella vaccine | Varivax, ProQuad | Live attenuated vaccine | Prevention of chickenpox (varicella) |
| vaccinia vaccine (smallpox) | ACAM2000, Imvamune/Imvanex | Live vaccine (vaccinia virus) | Smallpox prevention, biodefense |
| varicella zoster immune globulin | VariZIG | Passive immunoglobulin | Post‑exposure prophylaxis for varicella |
| vasopressin | Vasostrict | Vasoconstrictor, antidiuretic hormone analog | Vasodilatory shock, diabetes insipidus (some forms) |
| vemurafenib | Zelboraf | BRAF V600 inhibitor (targeted therapy) | BRAF‑mutant metastatic melanoma |
| venlafaxine | Effexor | SNRI antidepressant | Depression, anxiety disorders |
| venetoclax | Venclexta | BCL‑2 inhibitor (antineoplastic) | Chronic lymphocytic leukemia, AML |
| verapamil | Calan, Isoptin | Calcium channel blocker (non‑dihydropyridine) | Hypertension, arrhythmia, angina |
| vericiguat | Verquvo | Soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator | Chronic heart failure with reduced EF |
| vildagliptin | Galvus | DPP‑4 inhibitor (antidiabetic) | Type 2 diabetes mellitus |
| vilazodone | Viibryd | SSRI + 5‑HT1A partial agonist | Major depressive disorder |
| vincristine | Oncovin | Vinca alkaloid chemotherapy | Various leukemias and lymphomas |
| vinblastine | Velban | Vinca alkaloid chemotherapy | Hodgkin lymphoma, testicular cancer |
| vinorelbine | Navelbine | Vinca alkaloid chemotherapy | Non‑small cell lung cancer, breast cancer |
| vinflunine | Javlor | Vinca‑derived chemotherapy | Advanced urothelial carcinoma (some regions) |
| voriconazole | Vfend | Triazole antifungal | Invasive fungal infections (Aspergillus, Candida) |
| vosoritide | Voxzogo | CNP analog (peptide therapy) | Achondroplasia (growth disorder) |
| voclosporin | Lupkynis | Calcineurin inhibitor | Immunosuppression for lupus nephritis |
| valganciclovir | Valcyte | Antiviral (ganciclovir prodrug) | CMV treatment and prevention |
| valrubicin | Valstar | Anthracycline (intravesical chemo) | Bladder cancer (intravesical therapy) |
| vedolizumab | Entyvio | Anti‑integrin monoclonal antibody | Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease |
| viltolarsen | Viltepso | Antisense oligonucleotide | Duchenne muscular dystrophy (exon skipping) |
| vorinostat | Zolinza | Histone deacetylase inhibitor | Cutaneous T‑cell lymphoma |
| vorapaxar | Zontivity | PAR‑1 receptor antagonist (antiplatelet) | Secondary prevention of thrombotic events |
| vortioxetine | Trintellix | Serotonin modulator and stimulator | Major depressive disorder |
| valbenazine | Ingrezza | VMAT2 inhibitor | Tardive dyskinesia |
| viloxazine | Qelbree | Norepinephrine modulator | ADHD (children and adults) |
| velpatasvir | Epclusa (component), Vosevi (combo) | NS5A inhibitor (HCV antiviral) | Chronic hepatitis C (various genotypes) |
| vandetanib | Caprelsa | Tyrosine kinase inhibitor | Medullary thyroid cancer |
| vernakalant | Brinavess | Atrial‑selective antiarrhythmic | Acute atrial fibrillation termination |
| vilanterol | Breo Ellipta, Anoro Ellipta (combos) | Long‑acting beta2 agonist (LABA) | Maintenance therapy for COPD, asthma (combos) |
| vecuronium | Norcuron | Non‑depolarizing neuromuscular blocker | Surgical muscle relaxation, intubation |
| vigabatrin | Sabril | Irreversible GABA transaminase inhibitor | Infantile spasms, refractory epilepsy |
| vismodegib | Erivedge | Hedgehog pathway inhibitor | Advanced basal cell carcinoma |
| velaglucerase alfa | VPRIV | Recombinant enzyme replacement | Gaucher disease type 1 |
| voretigene neparvovec | Luxturna | Gene therapy (AAV vector) | Inherited retinal dystrophy (RPE65 mutation) |
| vibegron | Gemtesa | Beta3‑adrenergic agonist | Overactive bladder (urgency, frequency) |
| volanesorsen | Waylivra | Antisense oligonucleotide | Familial chylomicronemia syndrome (EU) |
| vinflunine | Javlor | Vinca‑derived microtubule inhibitor | Advanced urothelial carcinoma (some regions) |
Descriptions
valacyclovir
Oral antiviral tablet used for cold sores, genital herpes, and shingles. Common side effects include headache and nausea; renal dosing may be needed.
valproic acid
Oral and IV formulations. Controls seizures and stabilizes mood; can cause weight gain, tremor, liver injury, and birth defects—avoid in pregnancy when possible.
valsartan
Oral tablets that lower blood pressure and ease heart failure symptoms. Side effects: dizziness, high potassium; avoid in pregnancy.
vancomycin
IV and oral forms (IV for systemic infections, oral for C. difficile). Can cause infusion reactions (“red man”), kidney injury, hearing issues.
vardenafil
Oral tablet or orally disintegrating tablet to treat ED. Side effects include headache, flushing, and visual changes. Not for use with nitrates.
varenicline
Oral tablet to help quit smoking. Common effects: vivid dreams, nausea; rare mood changes or suicidal thoughts reported.
varicella vaccine
Subcutaneous injection for children and adults to prevent chickenpox. Local soreness, fever; rare allergic reactions. Not for severely immunocompromised people.
vaccinia vaccine (smallpox)
Live vaccinia vaccines used for smallpox prevention or exposure response. Given by scarification or injection; can cause myocarditis, local spread in immunocompromised.
varicella zoster immune globulin
Intramuscular immune globulin to protect high‑risk exposed individuals. Typical side effects: injection site pain; provides short‑term passive immunity.
vasopressin
IV vasopressor for low blood pressure in shock; forms include injection. Side effects: decreased blood flow to extremities, hyponatremia.
vemurafenib
Oral targeted cancer therapy. Can cause rash, photosensitivity, joint pain, and secondary skin cancers; used with molecular testing.
venlafaxine
Oral tablets and XR formulations. May cause nausea, insomnia, increased blood pressure, and withdrawal symptoms if stopped suddenly.
venetoclax
Oral targeted cancer drug; can cause tumor lysis syndrome, neutropenia, and infections. Requires monitoring and dosing ramp‑up.
verapamil
Oral and IV forms. Slows heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Side effects: constipation, low heart rate, edema.
vericiguat
Oral tablet for worsening heart failure to reduce hospitalizations. Side effects: low blood pressure, anemia, dizziness.
vildagliptin
Oral tablet to lower blood sugar. May cause headache, dizziness; rare pancreatitis or skin reactions reported in some countries.
vilazodone
Oral tablets. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and sexual dysfunction; less discontinuation symptoms than some antidepressants.
vincristine
Intravenous chemotherapy. Causes peripheral neuropathy, constipation, and hair loss; requires careful dosing.
vinblastine
IV chemotherapy with bone marrow suppression and neuropathy risks; used in multiple cancer regimens.
vinorelbine
IV chemotherapy causing neutropenia, constipation, and neuropathy; used in solid tumors.
vinflunine
IV chemo approved in some countries for bladder cancer; side effects include neutropenia and GI toxicity.
voriconazole
Oral and IV antifungal. Can cause visual disturbances, liver enzyme changes, and skin sensitivity.
vosoritide
Subcutaneous injection to increase growth in children with achondroplasia. Side effects: injection site reactions, vomiting, low blood pressure.
voclosporin
Oral capsule to treat lupus kidney disease. Side effects: high blood pressure, kidney effects, increased infection risk.
valganciclovir
Oral tablets and suspension; converts to ganciclovir. Side effects: neutropenia, anemia, kidney dose adjustments.
valrubicin
Instilled into the bladder for superficial bladder cancer. Local urinary symptoms and rare systemic effects.
vedolizumab
IV infusion biologic targeting gut immune cells. Can cause infusion reactions and increased infection risk.
viltolarsen
IV infusion for a specific genetic DMD subtype. May cause injection site reactions and kidney monitoring.
vorinostat
Oral capsules. Side effects include fatigue, GI upset, and low blood counts.
vorapaxar
Oral antiplatelet used to reduce clot risk; increases bleeding risk and not for recent stroke or intracranial bleed patients.
vortioxetine
Oral tablets. May improve cognition in depression; side effects include nausea and sexual dysfunction.
valbenazine
Oral capsule to treat involuntary movements from antipsychotics. Side effects: sleepiness, QT prolongation risk.
viloxazine
Oral capsules for ADHD. Side effects: insomnia, decreased appetite, irritability; non‑stimulant option.
velpatasvir
Oral antiviral component used in combos to cure hepatitis C. Side effects generally mild: headache, fatigue.
vandetanib
Oral targeted cancer therapy. Can prolong QT interval and cause diarrhea, rash, and hypertension.
vernakalant
IV infusion used in some regions for rapid AF conversion. Side effects: taste disturbance, hypotension; limited availability.
vilanterol
Inhaled component in combination inhalers for long‑term breathlessness control. Not used alone in many regions.
vecuronium
IV injection used during anesthesia. Side effects: residual paralysis; reversed with appropriate agents.
vigabatrin
Oral tablet. Effective for specific seizures but carries risk of permanent vision loss—requires vision monitoring.
vismodegib
Oral capsule for certain skin cancers. Can cause muscle spasms, taste changes, hair loss, and birth defects.
velaglucerase alfa
IV infusion enzyme replacement therapy for Gaucher disease. Side effects: infusion reactions, headache, dizziness.
voretigene neparvovec
One‑time subretinal gene therapy to restore vision in specific genetic blindness. Can cause ocular inflammation, surgical risks.
vibegron
Oral tablet to relax bladder muscle. Side effects: headache, hypertension in some people.
volanesorsen
Subcutaneous injection approved in some regions to lower triglycerides; side effects include thrombocytopenia and injection reactions.
vinflunine
IV chemotherapy with risks of neutropenia, constipation, and fatigue.