Is Bempedoic Acid 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 Bempedoic Acid. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
The amounts of bempedoic acid and its active metabolite are very low, but there is no published experience with bempedoic acid during breastfeeding. If a mother requires bempedoic acid, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding. An alternate drug might be considered 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. The manufacturer reports a study in which bempedoic acid 180 mg was given orally once daily for six consecutive days to 8 healthy lactating women. The estimated geometric mean bempedoic acid peak concentration in breastmilk was 118 mcg/L (range 79.6 to 251 mcg/L), occurring at a median of about 3 hours. The mean daily infant dose of bempedoic acid through breastmilk was approximately 0.03 mg/day (95% CI: 0.02; 0.05) or 0.012 mg/kg daily. The mean RID was approximately 0.5% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage. Concentrations of ESP15228, the active metabolite, in milk were below the limit of quantitation (<20 mcg/L) in 7 of 8 subjects.[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 Bempedoic Acid 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 “Bempedoic Acid” (bempedoic_acid). 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.