Rifabutin/Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir Interactions

This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.

Medical warning:

Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.

How the interaction occurs:

When these two medicines are taken together, your body may not process your rifabutin properly.

What might happen:

Your blood levels of rifabutin may increase and cause harmful effects.

What you should do about this interaction:

Make sure that your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. If you experience fever, sore throat, severe diarrhea, muscle pain, eye redness, eye pain, light sensitivity, blurred vision, or see dark floating spots, contact your doctor. The dose of your medicines may need adjusting.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

  • 1.Mycobutin (rifabutin) US prescribing information. Pfizer Inc. September, 2021.
  • 2.Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets) US prescribing information. Pfizer Inc. May, 2023.
  • 3.Naiker S, Connolly C, Wiesner L, Kellerman T, Reddy T, Harries A, McIlleron H, Lienhardt C, Pym A. Randomized pharmacokinetic evaluation of different rifabutin doses in African HIV- infected tuberculosis patients on lopinavir/ritonavir-based antiretroviral therapy. BMC Pharmacol Toxicol 2014 Nov 19;15:61.
  • 4.Lan NT, Thu NT, Barrail-Tran A, Duc NH, Lan NN, Laureillard D, Lien TT, Borand L, Quillet C, Connolly C, Lagarde D, Pym A, Lienhardt C, Dung NH, Taburet AM, Harries AD. Randomised pharmacokinetic trial of rifabutin with lopinavir/ritonavir-antiretroviral therapy in patients with HIV-associated tuberculosis in Vietnam. PLoS One 2014;9(1):e84866.
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  • 6.Khachi H, O'Connell R, Ladenheim D, Orkin C. Pharmacokinetic interactions between rifabutin and lopinavir/ritonavir in HIV-infected patients with mycobacterial co-infection. J Antimicrob Chemother 2009 Oct;64(4):871-3.
  • 7.Ramachandran G, Bhavani PK, Hemanth Kumar AK, Srinivasan R, Raja K, Sudha V, Venkatesh S, Chandrasekaran C, Swaminathan S. Pharmacokinetics of rifabutin during atazanavir/ritonavir co-administration in HIV-infected TB patients in India. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2013 Dec;17(12):1564-8.
  • 8.Tanuma J, Sano K, Teruya K, Watanabe K, Aoki T, Honda H, Yazaki H, Tsukada K, Gatanaga H, Kikuchi Y, Oka S. Pharmacokinetics of rifabutin in Japanese HIV-infected patients with or without antiretroviral therapy. PLoS One 2013;8(8):e70611.
  • 9.Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents. Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in adults and adolescents Living with HIV. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at https://clinicalinfo.hiv.gov/en/guidelines/adult-and-adolescent-arv/whats- new-guidelines June 13, 2021.
  • 10.CDC. Managing Drug Interactions in the Treatment of HIV-Related Tuberculosis online. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidelines/tb_hiv_drugs/introduction. htm June, 2013.

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CONDITIONS OF USE: The information in this database is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for you or anyone else. A healthcare professional should be consulted before taking any drug, changing any diet or commencing or discontinuing any course of treatment.