What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Clarithromycin and zidovudine
Clarithromycin's FDA label of April 9, 2026 names zidovudine in its drug interactions section; the zidovudine labels PlainMeds reads (3) do not name clarithromycin. The clarithromycin label: “Zidovudine; Zidovudine: Simultaneous oral administration of clarithromycin immediate-release tablets and zidovudine to HIV-infected adult patients may result in decreased steady-state zidovudine concentrations. …”
Check it at the source: the clarithromycin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 9, 2026, Solaris Pharma Corporation); the zidovudine FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 10, 2025, Aurobindo Pharma Limited).
What does the clarithromycin label say about zidovudine?
Clarithromycin label, drug interactionsZidovudine; Zidovudine: Simultaneous oral administration of clarithromycin immediate-release tablets and zidovudine to HIV-infected adult patients may result in decreased steady-state zidovudine concentrations. Administration of clarithromycin and zidovudine should be separated by at least two hours [see Pharmacokinetics ]. The impact of co-administration of clarithromycin extended-release tablets or granules and zidovudine has not been evaluated.
Source: FDA drug label (Clarithromycin), Solaris Pharma Corporation, effective April 9, 2026 (SPL set 4d42821d-ce7a-7d64-e063-6294a90a0875), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the zidovudine label say about clarithromycin?
Zidovudine's label (effective February 10, 2025) and its 2 other brand-application labels do not name clarithromycin in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Zidovudine), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, effective February 10, 2025 (SPL set 51abd2ce-6be1-412d-b806-5f24935ac5e3), 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
| Clarithromycin | Zidovudine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Bacterial infections, Acid reflux and ulcers | HIV |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.466 per tablet 500 mg tablet | $0.464 per tablet 300 mg tablet |
| 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