Is Amenamevir safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Amenamevir. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Amenamevir is not marketed in the United States. A study in two patients found that amounts in breastmilk appear to be low and would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. If the mother requires amenamevir, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. However, until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. A single dose of 1200 mg of amenamevir was prescribed to two women who were instructed to carry it with them and take the tablets after a meal within 6 hours of recognizing prodromal symptoms of herpes. Milk samples were collected at several time points up to 48 hours after the dose. The maximum milk concentrations were 400 mcg/L at 3.5 hours after the dose and 1390 mcg/L at 4.17 hours after the dose in the other. The average milk amenamevir concentration in one patient was 508.3 mcg/L. The other patient missed some collections, and the average concentration could not be calculated. The RID, calculated using the average concentration in one patient was 0.337%. The worst-case RID calculated using observed maximum concentrations were 0.303% and 0.923%.[1]
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Amenamevir is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Amenamevir” (amenamevir). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.