What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ganciclovir and hydroxyurea
Ganciclovir's FDA label of January 9, 2026 names hydroxyurea in its drug interactions section; the hydroxyurea labels PlainMeds reads (3) do not name ganciclovir. The ganciclovir label: “Because of potential for higher toxicity, coadministration with Ganciclovir should be considered only if the potential benefits are judged to outweigh the risks.”
Check it at the source: the ganciclovir FDA label on DailyMed (effective January 9, 2026, Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC); the hydroxyurea FDA label on DailyMed (effective September 15, 2025, Waylis Therapeutics LLC).
What does the ganciclovir label say about hydroxyurea?
Ganciclovir label, drug interactionsName of the Concomitant Drug: Other drugs associated with myelosuppression or nephrotoxicity (e.g., dapsone, doxorubicin, flucytosine, hydroxyurea, pentamidine, tacrolimus, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, vinblastine, vincristine and zidovudine); Change in the Concentration of Ganciclovir or Concomitant Drug: Unknown; Clinical Comment: Because of potential for higher toxicity, coadministration with Ganciclovir should be considered only if the potential benefits are judged to outweigh the risks.
Source: FDA drug label (Ganciclovir), Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC, effective January 9, 2026 (SPL set 35addab5-09db-4f8a-9c69-6fbce33ecc37), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the hydroxyurea label say about ganciclovir?
Hydroxyurea's label (effective September 15, 2025) and its 2 other brand-application labels do not name ganciclovir in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (HYDREA), Waylis Therapeutics LLC, effective September 15, 2025 (SPL set 8d41152f-a98a-4abc-afdf-a909012434a0), 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
| Ganciclovir | Hydroxyurea | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | n/a | Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma |
| Boxed warning | Yes | No |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $91.24 per gram 0.15% ophthalmic gel | $0.184 per capsule 500 mg capsule |
| 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