Can I take Olaratumab while breastfeeding?

Is Olaratumab 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 Olaratumab. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.

Summary of use during breastfeeding

Olaratumab is no longer marketed in the United States. No information is available on the clinical use of olaratumab during breastfeeding. Because olaratumab is a large protein molecule with a molecular weight of about 154,000 Da, the amount in milk is likely to be very low.[1] It is also likely to be partially destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract and absorption by the infant is probably minimal.[2] However, olaratumab is given with doxorubicin. The manufacturer recommends that women should not breastfeed during treatment with olaratumab and for 3 months following the last dose.

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. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Olaratumab 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 “Olaratumab” (LM1307). 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.