What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Artemether/lumefantrine and ketoconazole
Artemether/lumefantrine's FDA label of March 26, 2026 names ketoconazole in its drug interactions section; the ketoconazole label PlainMeds reads does not name artemether/lumefantrine. The artemether/lumefantrine label: “Concurrent oral administration of ketoconazole, a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, with a single dose of Coartem Tablets resulted in a moderate increase in exposure to artemether, DHA, and lumefantrine in a study of 15 healthy …”
Check it at the source: the artemether/lumefantrine FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 26, 2026, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation); the ketoconazole FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 28, 2026, E. Fougera & Co. a division of Fougera Pharmaceuticals, LLC).
What does the artemether/lumefantrine label say about ketoconazole?
Artemether/lumefantrine label, drug interactionsConcurrent oral administration of ketoconazole, a potent CYP3A4 inhibitor, with a single dose of Coartem Tablets resulted in a moderate increase in exposure to artemether, DHA, and lumefantrine in a study of 15 healthy subjects.
Source: FDA drug label (COARTEM), Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, effective March 26, 2026 (SPL set 7866ec19-dfac-47d4-a53f-511a12643cbf), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ketoconazole label say about artemether/lumefantrine?
Ketoconazole's label (effective January 28, 2026) does not name artemether/lumefantrine in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (ketoconazole), E. Fougera & Co. a division of Fougera Pharmaceuticals, LLC, effective January 28, 2026 (SPL set cad7c647-34a9-4e4e-83b3-8d78e58f588f), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
These are the labels' own sentences. PlainMeds does not grade interactions; a pharmacist or prescriber can say what they mean for one person's medicines.
Both medicines on the record
| Artemether/lumefantrine | Ketoconazole | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | n/a | Fungal infections |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $5.36 per tablet Coartem tablets | $0.249 per gram 2% cream |
| Shortage now | No current entry | No current entry |
Source: FDA NDC Directory, CMS NADAC of October 7, 2026 and the FDA Drug Shortage Database (FDA files October 8, 2026)
What next?
- Check more medicines together
- up to five at once