What the FDA labels say about taking them together
Prednisone and ritonavir
Ritonavir's FDA label of July 23, 2026 names prednisone in its drug interactions section; the prednisone label PlainMeds reads does not name ritonavir. The ritonavir label: “Coadministration with corticosteroids whose exposures are significantly increased by strong CYP3A inhibitors can increase the risk for Cushing’s syndrome and adrenal suppression.Alternative corticosteroids including …”
Check it at the source: the prednisone FDA label on DailyMed (effective April 22, 2025, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.); the ritonavir FDA label on DailyMed (effective July 23, 2026, AbbVie Inc.).
What does the prednisone label say about ritonavir?
Prednisone's label (effective April 22, 2025) does not name ritonavir in these sections. A label lists what its studies and reports found; it is not a complete list.
Source: FDA drug label (PredniSONE), Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., effective April 22, 2025 (SPL set 3115aef0-fd50-4ec8-a064-3effb695f3f2), via openFDA; the full label on DailyMed
What does the ritonavir label say about prednisone?
Ritonavir label, drug interactionsConcomitant Drug Class/Drug Name: Systemic/Inhaled/ Nasal/Ophthalmic Corticosteroids: e.g., betamethasone budesonide ciclesonide dexamethasone fluticasone methylprednisolone mometasone prednisone triamcinolone; Effect on Concentration of Ritonavir or Concomitant Drug: ↑ glucocorticoids; Clinical Comment: Coadministration with corticosteroids whose exposures are significantly increased by strong CYP3A inhibitors can increase the risk for Cushing’s syndrome and adrenal suppression.Alternative corticosteroids including beclomethasone and prednisolone (whose PK and/or PD are less affected by strong CYP3A inhibitors relative to other studied steroids) should be considered, particularly for …
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
| Prednisone | Ritonavir | |
|---|---|---|
| Labeled for | Osteoarthritis, Asthma, Allergies, Herpes and shingles, Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, Multiple sclerosis, Eczema (atopic dermatitis), Anemia, Organ transplant rejection | HIV |
| Boxed warning | No | Yes |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $0.0643 per tablet 20 mg tablet | $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
- up to five at once