What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin and ribavirin
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin's FDA label (Gwyn Lo) of July 6, 2026 names ribavirin in its contraindications section; the ribavirin labels PlainMeds reads (2) do not name ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin. The ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label: “Use of Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin, due to the potential for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations High risk of arterial or …”
Check it at the source: the ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 16, 2026, Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the ribavirin FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 6, 2024, Aurobindo Pharma Limited).
What does the ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label say about ribavirin?
Gwyn Lo label (Viatris Specialty LLC, July 6, 2026), contraindicationsUse of Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin, due to the potential for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] High risk of arterial or venous thromboembolic events.
Gwyn Lo label (Viatris Specialty LLC, July 6, 2026), drug interactionsUse with Direct Acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs) – Liver Enzyme Elevation During clinical trials with the HCV combination drug regimen ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with and or without ribavirin, or with glecaprevir/pibrentasvir or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir, ALT elevations were significantly more frequent in women using ethinyl estradiol-containing medicinal products such as CHCs [see Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ].
Gwyn Lo label (Viatris Specialty LLC, July 6, 2026), warnings and precautionsElevations with Concomitant Hepatitis C Treatment During clinical trials with the Hepatitis C (HCV) combination drug regimen that contains ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir and dasabuvir, with or without ribavirin, 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 CHCs.
Source: FDA drug label (Gwyn Lo, NDA219990), Viatris Specialty LLC, effective July 6, 2026 (SPL set e92741f4-87fe-429f-b5b5-c558ed5f4fa9), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (norelgestromin and ethinyl estradiol), Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective April 16, 2026 (SPL set 10fa1458-c8ed-4197-922a-1ba7271d2b02), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ribavirin label say about ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin?
Ribavirin's label (effective February 6, 2024) and its 1 other brand-application label do not name ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (Ribavirin), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, effective February 6, 2024 (SPL set eee304d0-c2ea-44f4-97d9-92a414d31b6c), 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
| Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin | Ribavirin | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control | Hepatitis C |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $37.16 per patch 150-35 mcg/day patch | $0.451 per tablet 200 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