{"id":634691,"date":"2025-12-16T13:51:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T18:51:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=634691"},"modified":"2025-12-16T13:51:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T18:51:36","slug":"leucovorin-vs-folic-acid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/leucovorin-vs-folic-acid\/","title":{"rendered":"Leucovorin vs. folic acid: Differences and similarities explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leucovorin<\/span><\/a> is a prescription medication that\u2019s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to counteract the side effects of other medications that block folic acid activity in the body. It can be helpful in people going through certain types of chemotherapy, managing megaloblastic anemia, a specific type of anemia, and it has many off-label uses. Leucovorin, also known as folinic acid or 5-formyl tetrahydrofolic acid, is similar to <\/span>folic acid<\/span><\/a>, an essential vitamin also known as vitamin B9. Folic acid and folate require processing in the body before they\u2019re used, while folinic acid is an active form of the vitamin ready to use. This article compares leucovorin and folic acid, including what they\u2019re used for, cost differences, and side effects you should know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Leucovorin vs. folic acid: Key differences<\/span><\/h2>\n

Leucovorin and folic acid are similar, but there are key differences when it comes to how they\u2019re classified or used. <\/span>Leucovorin<\/span><\/a> is a generic prescription medication used for specific indications approved by the FDA. It may also be prescribed for off-label uses. Leucovorin is taken orally as a tablet or injected intravenously (IV).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Folic acid or folate is a B vitamin that doesn\u2019t need a prescription. It can be found over the counter in supplements or even added to foods like cereals and breads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Suzanne Goh<\/span><\/a>, MD, pediatric behavioral neurologist and founder of Cortica,<\/span> shares, \u201cI often will explain to the families that I work with that you can think of folinic acid (leucovorin) as a form of folate that’s already turned on… Folic acid, on the other hand, is a synthetic version of folate, and you can think of it as the version of folate that’s turned off.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2025, drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced its submission for <\/span>Wellcovorin<\/span><\/a>, its brand-name version of leucovorin, for the treatment of a rare disorder called cerebral folate deficiency (CFD). Wellcovorin is the brand-name leucovorin that was marketed from 1983 to 1997.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Both leucovorin and folic acid are taken as needed. There\u2019s no standard dosage for leucovorin, but it\u2019s not recommended to take more than 25 mg orally. There\u2019s also no standard dosage for folic acid or folate supplements, but the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is <\/span>400 mcg for adults over 19 years old<\/span><\/a>. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends <\/span>400 mcg daily<\/span><\/a> for people who are capable of getting pregnant to prevent neural tube defects. <\/span>Up to 15 mg of oral folate<\/span><\/a> can be recommended per day in patients with anemia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Compare leucovorin vs. folic acid key differences<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n

Difference<\/b><\/td>\nLeucovorin<\/b><\/td>\nFolic acid<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Drug class<\/b><\/td>\nFolic acid analog<\/span><\/td>\nB vitamin<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brand\/generic status<\/b><\/td>\nGeneric<\/span><\/td>\nOver the counter<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What is the generic name?<\/b><\/p>\n

Or<\/b><\/p>\n

What is the brand name?<\/b><\/td>\n

Generic leucovorin calcium; brand name Wellcovorin<\/span><\/td>\nN\/A<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What form(s) does the drug come in?<\/b><\/td>\nTablet, injectable solution<\/span><\/td>\nTablet, capsule<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
What is the standard dosage?<\/b><\/td>\nVaries by indication; less than 25 mg daily when taken orally<\/span><\/td>\nRecommended daily allowance (RDA): 400 mcg for adults over 19 years old<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
How long is the typical treatment?<\/b><\/td>\nAs needed<\/span><\/td>\nAs needed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Who typically uses the medication?<\/b><\/td>\nPeople undergoing treatments (e.g., certain cancer treatments) that block folic acid in the body,\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\nPeople at risk or with folate deficiency, pregnant people, and people trying to conceive<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Leucovorin vs. folic acid: Conditions treated<\/span><\/h2>\n

Leucovorin and folic acid are recommended for different reasons. Leucovorin is approved by the FDA to prevent side effects of treatments that block folic acid (folic acid antagonists) and improve elimination or metabolism of <\/span>methotrexate<\/span><\/a>, a drug used to treat certain types of cancer and rheumatoid diseases. There are no FDA-approved indications for folic acid because it\u2019s considered a dietary supplement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Off-label uses<\/span><\/a> for leucovorin include:<\/span><\/p>\n