What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Ganciclovir and zidovudine
Ganciclovir's FDA label of January 9, 2026 names zidovudine in its drug interactions section, and zidovudine's label names ganciclovir too. 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 zidovudine FDA label on DailyMed (effective February 10, 2025, Aurobindo Pharma Limited).
What does the ganciclovir label say about zidovudine?
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 zidovudine label say about ganciclovir?
Zidovudine label, drug interactionsCoadministration of ganciclovir, interferon alfa, ribavirin, and other bone marrow suppressive or cytotoxic agents may increase the hematologic toxicity of zidovudine.
Source: FDA drug label (Retrovir, NDA019951), ViiV Healthcare Company, effective October 30, 2013 (SPL set 360d8a6d-d3b6-43ef-8764-e99d831880a4), via openFDA
Source: FDA drug label (Zidovudine), Aurobindo Pharma Limited, effective February 10, 2025 (SPL set 51abd2ce-6be1-412d-b806-5f24935ac5e3), 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 | Zidovudine | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | n/a | HIV |
| Boxed warning | Yes | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $91.24 per gram 0.15% ophthalmic gel | $0.464 per tablet 300 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