Is Atogepant 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 Atogepant. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
No information is available on the clinical use of atogepant during breastfeeding. However, amounts in breastmilk are low and virtually absent from milk 16 hours after a dose. Atogepant would not be expected to cause any adverse effects in breastfed infants. If atogepant is required by the mother of an older infant, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding, but until more data become available, an alternate drug may be preferred 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. Twelve healthy lactating adult women 1 to 6 months postpartum were given a single 60 mg oral dose of atogepant in a multicenter study. Milk samples were collected prior to the dose and over the following intervals: 0 to 2, 2 to 4, 4 to 8, 8 to 12, 12 to 16, and 16 to 24 hours after the dose. The average peak milk level occurred at an average of 2 hours (range 1 to 3 hours) and averaged 75 mcg/L. A total of 9 mcg was excreted into milk over the collection period and the calculated relative infant dose averaged 0.19%.[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 Atogepant 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 “Atogepant” (atogepant). 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.