nirmatrelvir/ritonavir vs salmeterol

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Side-by-side comparison of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and salmeterol. Data from FDA drug databases (Orange Book, NDC Directory, recalls, shortages) covering 20,000+ approved drugs, plus CMS pricing; see our methodology.

moderate Known Drug Interaction

Long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonist salmeterol ↑ salmeterol Avoid concomitant use with PAXLOVID. The combination may result in increased risk of cardiovascular adverse events associated with salmeterol, including QT prolongation, palpitations, and sinus tachycardia.

Drug Class
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir Antiviral (Protease Inhibitor Combination)
salmeterol Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA)
Type
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir Prescription
salmeterol Prescription
Summary
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir

Paxlovid is a medicine used to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults. It helps prevent severe illness, hospitalization, or death in people at high risk.

salmeterol

No summary available.

What It Treats
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir

Paxlovid treats mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults. You must be at high risk of your illness becoming severe. This includes needing to go to the hospital or possibly dying from COVID-19. Paxlovid is not for preventing COVID-19 before or after exposure.

salmeterol

Information not available.

How It Works
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir

Paxlovid contains two medicines, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. Nirmatrelvir stops the virus from multiplying in your body. Ritonavir helps nirmatrelvir stay in your body longer so it can work better.

salmeterol

Information not available.

Common Side Effects
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir
  • Change in taste
  • Diarrhea
salmeterol
  • Nasopharyngitis (common cold)
  • Oral candidiasis (thrush)
  • Headache
  • Cough
  • Back pain
FAERS Reports
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir
  • COVID-19 22,774
  • COVID-19 coming back 20,089
  • Change in taste 7,316
  • Diarrhea 4,003
  • Feeling sick to your stomach 2,620
salmeterol

No adverse event reports.

Serious Warnings
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir

Paxlovid can interact with many other medicines, causing serious or life-threatening problems. Before taking Paxlovid, tell your doctor about all the medicines you take. Your doctor may need to adjust the dose of your other medicines or monitor you more closely.

salmeterol

No specific warnings noted.

Pregnancy
nirmatrelvir/ritonavir

There is not enough information about nirmatrelvir's safety during pregnancy. Studies on ritonavir in pregnant women have not shown an increased risk of birth defects. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of taking Paxlovid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

salmeterol

No pregnancy information available.

Also Compare, Nearby Drugs

How to Read This nirmatrelvir/ritonavir vs salmeterol Comparison

nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is classified in the Antiviral (Protease Inhibitor Combination) drug class, while salmeterol sits within the Long-Acting Beta-2 Agonist (LABA) class. Drugs from different classes work through distinct mechanisms, so a head-to-head comparison illustrates trade-offs rather than equivalence. Both drugs are prescription-only, so a licensed provider must authorize use.

Adverse event totals above are pulled from the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). For these top-ranked reactions alone, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir has 56,802 submissions while salmeterol has 0. Those figures reflect cumulative reporting volume, not per-patient risk, so older, widely dispensed drugs typically look worse on count alone. These two drugs have a known moderate interaction flagged in FDA labeling, attributed to this combination makes salmeterol stay in your body longer, which can cause dangerous heart rhythms or a racing heart.. Serious warnings, pregnancy guidance, and contraindications can differ even when indications overlap.

A table cannot represent individual circumstances. Data here is sourced from FDA Structured Product Labels (SPL) and FAERS, both of which update as manufacturers and clinicians submit new information. This registry does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions for nirmatrelvir/ritonavir or salmeterol.

Registry boundary: This comparison displays source-record fields and does not provide individualized medical direction.