MotherToBaby

Medications and More during pregnancy and breastfeeding

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Tocilizumab (Actemra®)

Selected References:

  • Actemra Prescribing Information. Available online at https://www.gene.com/download/pdf/actemra_prescribing.pdf [Accessed Jan 2020].
  • Förger F & Villiger PM. 2016. Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy: present and future, Expert Rev of Clin Immun; 12(9):937-944.
  • Götestam Skorpen C, et al. 2016. The EULAR points to consider for use of antirheumatic drugs before pregnancy, and during pregnancy and lactation. Annals of the Rheum Dis; 75:795-810.
  • Hoeltzenbein M, et al. 2016. Tocilizumab use in pregnancy: analysis of a global safety database including data from clinical trials and post-marketing data. Sem Arthr Rheum; 466(2):238–45.
  • Hyrich KL and Verstappen SM. 2014. Biologic therapies and pregnancy: the story so far. Rheumatology (Oxford); 53(8):1377-85.
  • Levy RA, et. al. 2016. Critical review of the current recommendations for the treatment of systemic inflammatory rheumatic diseases during pregnancy and lactation. Autoimmun Rev 15(10):955-63.
  • Kaneko K, et. al. 2016. Tocilizumab and pregnancy: Four cases of pregnancy in young women with rheumatoid arthritis refractory to anti-TNF biologics with exposure to tocilizumab. Mod Rheumtol ; 26(5):672-675.
  • Nakajima K, et. al. 2016. Pregnancy outcomes after exposure to tocilizumab: A retrospective analysis of 61 patients in Japan. Mod Rheumtol; 26(5):667-671.
  • Ostensen M and Förger F. 2011. Treatment with biologics of pregnant patients with rheumatic diseases. Curr Opin Rheumatol; 23(3):293-8.
  • Pham T, et al. 2010.Tocilizumab: therapy and safety management. Joint Bone Spine; 77 Suppl 1:S3-100.
  • Rubbert-Roth A, et al. 2010. First experiences with pregnancies in RA patients receiving tocilizumab therapy. [abstract]. Arthritis Rheum; 62 Suppl 10:384.
  • Saito J, et. al. 2018. Tocilizumab concentrations in maternal serum and breast milk during breastfeeding and a safety assessment in infants: A case study. Rheumatology (Oxford). 57:1499-501.
  • Saito J et. al. Tocilizumab during pregnancy and lactation: drug levels in maternal serum, cord blood, breast milk and infant serum. Rheumatology (Oxford). 58(8):1505-1507.
  • Weber-Schoendorfer C and Schaefer C. 2016. Pregnancy outcome after tocilizumab therapy in early pregnancy-a case series from the German Embryotox Pharmacovigilance Center. Reprod Toxicology. 60:29–32.