What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ritonavir
Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol's FDA label of December 12, 2025 names ritonavir in its boxed warning section; the ritonavir label PlainMeds reads does not name desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol. The desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol label: “… take any Hepatitis C drug combination containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir.”
Check it at the source: the desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol FDA label on DailyMed (effective December 12, 2025, Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); the ritonavir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 23, 2026, AbbVie Inc.).
What does the desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol label say about ritonavir?
Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol label, boxed warning… professional) Yellowing of the whites of the eyes or of the skin (jaundice) during pregnancy or during previous use of the pill Liver tumor (benign or cancerous) If you take any Hepatitis C drug combination containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir.
Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol label, contraindications… hepatocellular disease with abnormal liver function Hepatic adenomas or carcinomas Known or suspected pregnancy Hypersensitivity to any component of this product Are receiving Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to the potential for ALT elevations (see section 5 in WARNINGS, RISK OF LIVER ENZYME ELEVATIONS WITH CONCOMITANT HEPATITIS C TREATMENT ).
Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol label, warningsRISK OF LIVER ENZYME ELEVATIONS WITH CONCOMITANT HEPATITIS C TREATMENT During clinical trials with the Hepatitis C combination drug regimen that contains ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, ALT elevations greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN), including some cases greater than 20 times the ULN, were significantly more frequent in women using ethinyl estradiol-containing medications such as COCs.
Source: FDA drug label (ENSKYCE), Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., effective December 12, 2025 (SPL set 799fa1d8-4e7b-4b5e-844d-d638896a4b02), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ritonavir label say about desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol?
Ritonavir's label (effective July 23, 2026) does not name desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Norvir), AbbVie Inc., effective July 23, 2026 (SPL set 2849298e-de6e-47bb-8194-56e075b33fc3), 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
| Desogestrel/ethinyl estradiol | Ritonavir | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control | HIV |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.172 per tablet 28 day tablet | $0.607 per tablet 100 mg tablet |
| Shortage now | No current entry | A presentation being discontinued |
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