What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Artemether/lumefantrine and rifampin
Artemether/lumefantrine's FDA label of March 26, 2026 names rifampin in its contraindications section; the rifampin label PlainMeds reads does not name artemether/lumefantrine. The artemether/lumefantrine label: “Oral administration of rifampin, a strong CYP3A4 inducer, with Coartem Tablets resulted in significant decreases in exposure to artemether, DHA (metabolite of artemether), and lumefantrine by 89%, 85%, and 68% …”
Check it at the source: the artemether/lumefantrine FDA label on DailyMed (effective March 26, 2026, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation); the rifampin FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 11, 2026, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.).
What does the artemether/lumefantrine label say about rifampin?
Artemether/lumefantrine label, contraindicationsStrong CYP3A4 Inducers Coadministration of strong inducers of CYP3A4 such as rifampin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, and St. John’s wort with Coartem Tablets can result in decreased concentrations of artemether and/or lumefantrine and loss of antimalarial efficacy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3), Drug Interactions (7.1), and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
Artemether/lumefantrine label, drug interactionsOral administration of rifampin, a strong CYP3A4 inducer, with Coartem Tablets resulted in significant decreases in exposure to artemether, DHA (metabolite of artemether), and lumefantrine by 89%, 85%, and 68%, respectively, when compared to exposure values after Coartem Tablets alone.
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 rifampin label say about artemether/lumefantrine?
Rifampin's label (effective February 11, 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 (rifampin), Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective February 11, 2026 (SPL set b56004f0-f23d-47f6-80c7-39884fccbccc), 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 | Rifampin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | n/a | n/a |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $5.36 per tablet Coartem tablets | $0.679 per capsule 300 mg capsule |
| Shortage now | No current entry | In shortage |
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