Is Alglucosidase Alfa safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Alglucosidase Alfa. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
An infant was born to a mother receiving alglucosidase alfa during pregnancy and lactation in an intravenous dose of 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks for adult-onset Pompe disease. At 3 and 77 days of age, the infant's serum had negligible anti-alglucosidase alfa antibodies. The infant was examined regularly up to 1 year of age and showed normal development, although the extent of breastfeeding during this time was not stated.[ 1 ] Two infants were born to mothers who received alglucosidase alfa therapy for Pompe disease during pregnancy and lactation. The two infants breastfed for a combined total of 22 months. Regular follow-up indicated normal development of both infants and a lack of side effects.[ 3 ] A woman with juvenile Pompe disease was treated with recombinant human alglucosidase alfa (Myozyme, Sanofi Genzyme) at a dose 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks beginning at 16 years of age. At age 21, she continued therapy throughout pregnancy and during breastfeeding, with the instruction to defer breastfeeding for 24 hours after the start of the infusion. The infant had normal development at 6 months of age.[ 4 ] A woman with late-onset Pompe disease was treated with alglucosidase starting after delivery. The infant was breastfed, with the instruction not to breastfeed for 24 hours after each infusion. At 2 months postpartum, therapy was changed to avalglucosidase. At 8 months postpartum, the infant was developing normally.[ 5 ] Two women with late-onset Pompe disease were receiving alglucosidase 20 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks during pregnancy and postpartum. One of them breastfed 2 children while taking this dose. All infants were exclusively breastfed for 6 months and partially thereafter. All of the children were developing normally at follow-up at the ages of 4 years and 1 month, 2 years and 6 months, and 2 year and 2 months, and 9 months.[ 2 ]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. One 40-year-old woman with adult-onset Pompe disease received alglucosidase alfa during pregnancy and lactation in an intravenous dose of 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks. The alglucosidase activity in breastmilk before the injection was 3 nmol/hour.ml, Which was about 10% of what the authors had measured in the milk of an unaffected woman. Breastmilk activity peaked 2.5 hours after the end of the infusion at 245 nmol/h.mL, which was 0.3% of the peak plasma value. Direct measurement of alglucosidase alfa in the breastmilk of the normal mother and the mother receiving the drug were consistent with these activity measurements. Alglucosidase alfa was undetectable (assay limit not stated) 24 hours after the end of the infusion.[ 1 ] A paper reported the range of milk levels of alphaglucosidase from five healthy lactating women, with 3 to 4 samples each. Milk levels ranged from 4.1 to 7.5 micromol/L/hour of acid alphaglucosidase activity.[ 2 ] Infant Levels. Acid alphaglucosidase activity was measured in 15 dried blood spots from an infant whose mother was receiving alglucosidase alfa 20 mg/kg every 2 weeks. Samples taken at various times after the maternal infusion had values ranging from about 1 to 9 micromol/L/hour of acid alphaglucosidase activity. In comparison, the mother s blood acid alphaglucosidase activities before a dose were 2.3 micromol/L/hour and 169 micromol/L/hour 4 hours after a dose.[ 2 ]
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.