What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Dexamethasone and nivolumab
Nivolumab's FDA label of August 12, 2026 names dexamethasone in its warnings and precautions section; the dexamethasone labels PlainMeds reads (4) do not name nivolumab. The nivolumab label: “Treatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials.”
Check it at the source: the dexamethasone FDA label on DailyMed (effective June 6, 2025, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.); the nivolumab FDA label on DailyMed (effective August 12, 2026, E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C.).
What does the dexamethasone label say about nivolumab?
Dexamethasone's label (effective June 6, 2025) and its 3 other brand-application labels do not name nivolumab in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Dexamethasone Intensol), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., effective June 6, 2025 (SPL set b15200fb-1826-472b-a907-e677a272513b), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the nivolumab label say about dexamethasone?
Nivolumab label, warnings and precautionsTreatment of patients with multiple myeloma with a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocking antibody in combination with a thalidomide analogue plus dexamethasone is not recommended outside of controlled clinical trials.
Source: FDA drug label (OPDIVO), E.R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C., effective August 12, 2026 (SPL set f570b9c4-6846-4de2-abfa-4d0a4ae4e394), 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
| Dexamethasone | Nivolumab | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Asthma, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Herpes and shingles, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Allergies, Anemia, Pain | Lung cancer, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Colorectal cancer |
| Boxed warning | No | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.193 per tablet 4 mg tablet | n/a |
| Shortage now | In shortage | 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