Is Ipilimumab safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Ipilimumab. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
A woman with recurrent malignant melanoma was treated with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg intravenously over 90 minutes once every 3 weeks for 4 doses, beginning soon after delivery. She began breastfeeding 21 days after her 12 weeks of therapy was completed. At 30 weeks after treatment she was well, but no mention was made of the duration of breastfeeding or the health of her infant.[4]
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. A woman with recurrent malignant melanoma was treated with ipilimumab 3 mg/kg intravenously over 90 minutes once every 3 weeks for 4 doses, beginning soon after delivery. Breast milk and serum samples were collected before she began therapy and at various times over the first 2 dosage intervals. A total of 26 daily breastmilk samples were obtained. Breastmilk levels of ipilimumab were at their highest of about 90 mcg/L at 10 days after the first infusion, and were lowest at 41 mcg/L at the time of the second infusion, 19 days after the first infusion. A peak milk level of 147 mcg/L was reached 4 days after the second infusion. It was apparent that accumulation took place after the second dose. The authors estimated that a fully breastfed infant would ingest a total of 4.5 mg of ipilimumab over a 4 month treatment cycle.[ 2 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
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.