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Does Vardenafil Interact with Ritonavir?

Vardenafil and Ritonavir have a contraindicated drug interaction according to U.S. FDA drug labeling data. In vivo studies Do not use vardenafil orally disintegrating tablet with moderate and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as erythromycin, grapefruit juice, clarithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, ritonavir as the systemic concentration of vardenafil is increased in their presence [see Warnings and Precautions (5) and Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 )] . [See Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5 ).] Ritonavir (600 mg b.i.d.) co-administered with vardenafil 5 mg resulted in a 49-fold increase in vardenafil AUC and a 13-fold increase in vardenafil C max . The interaction is a consequence of blocking hepatic metabolism of vardenafil by ritonavir, a HIV protease inhibitor and a highly strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, which also inhibits CYP2C9. Patients taking both medications should consult their healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing the dosage of either drug. This information is based on official FDA drug labeling sourced from OpenFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine.

Severity
Contraindicated
Ritonavir Class
Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor
Management
Do not take together
Data Source
U.S. FDA via OpenFDA

What To Tell Your Doctor or Pharmacist

If you are taking Vardenafil and your doctor is considering prescribing Ritonavir (or vice versa), make sure to:

  • Inform your doctor and pharmacist of all current medications, including over-the-counter drugs and supplements
  • Ask whether the benefits of combining these medications outweigh the risks for your specific situation
  • Ask what symptoms to watch for that would indicate the interaction is causing problems
  • Ask about alternative medications that do not interact with your current regimen
  • Ask how frequently you should be monitored while these are co-prescribed
  • Never stop or change either medication without first consulting your healthcare provider
💊 Vardenafil(Levitra)+💊 Ritonavir(Norvir)

Severity & Interaction Details

⛔
contraindicated
Avoid this combination
FDA labeling lists this pair as contraindicated. The risk outweighs the benefit in nearly all cases.
Severity scale
MinorContra
On record
Yes
Drug A class
—
Drug B class
Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor
Source
FDA drug label - vardenafil

What this means in plain English

In vivo studies Do not use vardenafil orally disintegrating tablet with moderate and strong CYP3A4 inhibitors such as erythromycin, grapefruit juice, clarithromycin, ketoconazole, itraconazole, indinavir, saquinavir, atazanavir, ritonavir as the systemic concentration of vardenafil is increased in their presence [see Warnings and Precautions (5) and Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 )] . [See Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5 ).] Ritonavir (600 mg b.i.d.) co-administered with vardenafil 5 mg resulted in a 49-fold increase in vardenafil AUC and a 13-fold increase in vardenafil C max . The interaction is a consequence of blocking hepatic metabolism of vardenafil by ritonavir, a HIV protease inhibitor and a highly strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, which also inhibits CYP2C9.

About Vardenafil and Ritonavir

Ritonavir is a Cytochrome P450 3A Inhibitor. You may recognize them by the brand names Levitra and Norvir. Both medications are taken by mouth. Ritonavir additionally carries an FDA boxed warning, the FDA's strongest safety alert.

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Data integrity: Every interaction shown is extracted directly from official U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NIH) — no interactions are invented, inferred, or manually edited. Maintained by CheckDrugInteractions.com. See our methodology or report a correction at support@checkdruginteractions.com.

Data sourced from U.S. FDA drug labeling via openFDA and the NIH National Library of Medicine, supplemented with a small number of well-established interactions from curated clinical references. For informational purposes only. Always consult your pharmacist or physician.