What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Cyclosporine and methotrexate
Cyclosporine's FDA label of August 10, 2026 names methotrexate in its boxed warning section, and methotrexate's label names cyclosporine too. The methotrexate label: “Malignancies malignancies can occur with methotrexate The risk of cutaneous malignancies is further increased when cyclosporine is administered to patients with psoriasis who received prior methotrexate.”
Check it at the source: the cyclosporine FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 10, 2026, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation); the methotrexate FDA label on DailyMed (effective May 27, 2026, Accord Healthcare Inc.).
What does the cyclosporine label say about methotrexate?
Cyclosporine label, boxed warningFor Psoriasis Patients (see also BOXED WARNING above) Psoriasis patients previously treated with PUVA and to a lesser extent, methotrexate or other immunosuppressive agents, UVB, coal tar, or radiation therapy, are at an increased risk of developing skin malignancies when taking Neoral.
Cyclosporine label, contraindicationsPsoriasis Psoriasis patients who are treated with Neoral should not receive concomitant PUVA or UVB therapy, methotrexate or other immunosuppressive agents, coal tar or radiation therapy.
Cyclosporine label, drug interactionsgentamicin; ketoconazole; colchicine; ranitidine; methotrexate
Cyclosporine label, warningsMethotrexate was received by 7 patients.
Source: FDA drug label (Neoral), Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, effective August 10, 2026 (SPL set 94461af3-11f1-4670-95d4-2965b9538ae3), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the methotrexate label say about cyclosporine?
Methotrexate label, warnings and precautionsMalignancies malignancies can occur with methotrexate The risk of cutaneous malignancies is further increased when cyclosporine is administered to patients with psoriasis who received prior methotrexate.
Source: FDA drug label (Methotrexate), Accord Healthcare Inc., effective May 27, 2026 (SPL set 874c7f43-a3be-4236-89cc-24c44e3c5813), 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
| Cyclosporine | Methotrexate | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Organ transplant rejection, Rheumatoid arthritis | Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Breast cancer |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $1.04 per unit 0.05% eye emulsion | $0.158 per tablet 2.5 mg tablet |
| 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