Is Verteporfin 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 Verteporfin. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Limited information indicates that maternal verteporfin doses of 6 mg per square meter produce low levels in milk. Withholding breastfeeding for 24 to 48 hours after verteporfin administration should minimize risk to the breastfed 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. According to the manufacturer, verteporfin and its diacid metabolite were found in the breastmilk of one woman after a 6 mg per square meter IV infusion. The verteporfin levels in breastmilk were up to 66% of the corresponding plasma levels and became unmeasurable (<2 mcg/L) within 24 hours. The diacid metabolite had lower peak breastmilk concentrations, but persisted up to at least 48 hours.
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 Verteporfin 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 “Verteporfin” (LM1080). 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.