Is Velaglucerase alfa 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 Velaglucerase alfa. 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 velaglucerase during breastfeeding. Velaglucerase is a synthetic form of beta-glucocerebrosidase, which is a normal component of human milk, but has an identical amino acid sequence to the normal enzyme. Studies with other forms of the enzyme have found very low levels of the enzyme in breastmilk. Absorption by the infant is unlikely because it is probably destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract.[1,2] A limited amount of data support the safety of breastfeeding with alglucerase (the placenta-derived form of the enzyme) and imiglucerase (another biosynthetic form of the enzyme). An international panel of clinicians from 9 centers that treat Gaucher's disease reported that, breastfeeding complications were less frequent in mothers who were treated with alglucerase or imiglucerase postpartum than in untreated mothers with Gaucher's disease. Consider limiting the duration of breastfeeding to about 6 months to avoid excessive bone loss in the nursing mother.[2,3]
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.
Alternatives LactMed lists
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Velaglucerase alfa 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 “Velaglucerase alfa” (LM803). 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.