Drug & supplement interaction

Astaxanthin + Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir brand name: Vosevi.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir falls into 2 drug categories that Astaxanthin can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, astaxanthin may decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Astaxanthin and Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Astaxanthin interacts with whole categories of medication. Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Astaxanthin in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Astaxanthin interacts with.

Theoretically, astaxanthin may decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro research shows that astaxanthin induces CYP3A4 enzyme activity in human hepatocytes. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist if you're taking Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir) for hepatitis C. In lab dish studies, astaxanthin seems to nudge up the activity of an enzyme called CYP3A4, which helps break down velpatasvir and voxilaprevir. In theory, speeding up that enzyme could clear these drugs from your body a little faster and leave less of them around to fight the virus.

That said, this is only seen in test-tube research, not in real people, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The bigger concern is making sure your hepatitis C treatment fully works, since these are cure-focused regimens. Before adding astaxanthin during your course, just run it by your pharmacist or doctor so nothing gets in the way.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kistler, A., Liechti, H., Pichard, L., Wolz, E., Oesterhelt, G., Hayes, A., and Maurel, P. Metabolism and CYP-inducer properties of astaxanthin in man and primary human hepatocytes. Arch.Toxicol. 2002;75(11-12):665-675. PubMed
Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, astaxanthin may decrease levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2B6.
In vitro research shows that astaxanthin induces cytochrome CYP2B6 enzyme activity in human hepatocytes. This effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, voxilaprevir), your hepatitis C treatment. The concern on file is that astaxanthin might speed up an enzyme called CYP2B6. In theory, a faster enzyme could clear a drug from your body more quickly and weaken it. With an HCV regimen like this, weaker drug levels are a real worry, because keeping the medicine high enough is exactly how it clears the virus and lowers your chance of treatment failure or resistance.

That said, I want to keep this in perspective. This signal comes only from lab (test tube) work and has never been confirmed in people, so it's quite theoretical. Vosevi is also mainly handled by other pathways, not chiefly CYP2B6. Still, because finishing this course right matters so much, I'd run any astaxanthin supplement by your pharmacist or doctor first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kistler, A., Liechti, H., Pichard, L., Wolz, E., Oesterhelt, G., Hayes, A., and Maurel, P. Metabolism and CYP-inducer properties of astaxanthin in man and primary human hepatocytes. Arch.Toxicol. 2002;75(11-12):665-675. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Astaxanthin Also Interacts With Other Medications

Astaxanthin has 670 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 670 No known interaction 2,160 (incl. Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Astaxanthin

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Astaxanthin. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Astaxanthin or Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Astaxanthin or Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir

This page covers Astaxanthin only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir page lists 173 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Adrafinil (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 130 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir page

“Vosevi (sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir) cures hepatitis C over a single short course, and that is exactly why I would be genuinely careful with supplements while taking it. Anything that drags its blood levels down can cost you the cure itself.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Astaxanthin as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 2,223 real supplement products containing Astaxanthin, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Astaxanthin. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir too, on top of Astaxanthin — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Astaxanthin and Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Astaxanthin
Top 10%

#102 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir
Top half

#859 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Astaxanthin

What is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin
  • Antioxidant support
  • Skin health and aging
  • Eye health
  • Exercise recovery
  • Heart and inflammation support

Astaxanthin is a reddish carotenoid pigment with strong antioxidant activity in the lab, and it is widely promoted for skin, eye, heart, and exercise benefits. Early human studies are promising for a few uses, but the overall evidence is still limited and not strong enough to make firm claims. It appears generally well tolerated at typical supplement doses, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Read the full Astaxanthin monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir

What Is Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir Used For?

Brand name: Vosevi

Vosevi is used to treat chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in adults who do not have cirrhosis or who have compensated cirrhosis (mild liver scarring that is still functioning). It is specifically for people who have already been treated with an HCV regimen before and need a different option.

Vosevi is approved for adults with HCV genotype 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 who previously took a medicine that included an NS5A inhibitor. It is also approved for adults with genotype 1a or 3 who previously took sofosbuvir without an NS5A inhibitor.

See full Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Astaxanthin

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Astaxanthin — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
670Moderate
0Minor
2,159No known interaction
670 Moderate 2,159 No interaction
Moderate

670 interactions

Showing 60 of 670 moderate interactions — see all 670 on the Astaxanthin page.

No interaction 2,159 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Astaxanthin against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,159 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Astaxanthin list.

See the full Astaxanthin interactions page
See every supplement checked against Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Astaxanthin monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir, ranked by severity Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Astaxanthin and Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir Together: Common Questions

Can you take Astaxanthin with Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Astaxanthin and Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir?
Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir belongs to more than one drug category, and Astaxanthin interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Astaxanthin and Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, Voxilaprevir and Astaxanthin?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.