Is Voxelotor 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 Voxelotor. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Voxelotor is an orally administered drug that binds to hemoglobin S, inhibiting polymerization. No information is available on the appearance of voxelotor in milk or on the safety of the drug in breastfed infants, but its low molecular weight of 337 Da indicates that it probably passes into milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in the infant, breastfeeding is currently not recommended during treatment and for at least 2 weeks after 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 Voxelotor 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 “Voxelotor” (voxelotor). 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.