What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin and ritonavir
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin's FDA label of April 16, 2026 names ritonavir in its contraindications section; the ritonavir label PlainMeds reads does not name ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin. The ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label: “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Protease Inhibitors and Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Significant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma concentrations of estrogen …”
Check it at the source: the ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 16, 2026, Zydus Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the ritonavir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 23, 2026, AbbVie Inc.).
What does the ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label say about ritonavir?
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label, contraindications… Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] ● Current diagnosis of, or history of, breast cancer, which may be hormone-sensitive [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.12 )] ● Use of Hepatitis C drug combinations containing ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir, with or without dasabuvir, due to the potential for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] At high risk of arterial or venous thromboembolic events ( 4 ) BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ( 4 ) Breast cancer or other estrogen- or progestin-sensitive cancer ( 4 ) Liver tumors or liver disease ( 4 ) Undiagnosed abnormal uterine bleeding ( 4 ) Pregnancy ( 4 ) Co-administration with Hepatitis C drug combinations containing …
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label, drug interactionsHuman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Protease Inhibitors and Non-Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Significant changes (increase or decrease) in the plasma concentrations of estrogen and/or progestin have been noted in some cases of co-administration with HIV protease inhibitors (decrease [e.g., nelfinavir, ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, (fos)amprenavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritnoavir, and tipranavir/ritonavir] or increase [e.g., indinavir and atazanavir/ritonavir])/HCV protease inhibitors or with non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (decrease [e.g., nevirapine] or increase [e.g., etravirine]).
Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin label, warnings and precautionsElevations 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 CHCs.
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 interactionsSignificant decreases in systemic exposure of the estrogen and/or progestin have been noted when CHCs are co-administered with some HIV protease inhibitors (e.g., nelfinavir, ritonavir, darunavir/ritonavir, (fos)amprenavir/ritonavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, and tipranavir/ritonavir), some HCV protease inhibitors (e.g., boceprevir and telaprevir), and some non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (e.g., nevirapine).
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 ritonavir label say about ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin?
Ritonavir's label (effective July 23, 2026) does 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 (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
| Ethinyl estradiol/norelgestromin | Ritonavir | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Birth control | HIV |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $37.16 per patch 150-35 mcg/day patch | $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
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