This sheet is about exposure to lebrikizumab in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information is based on published research. It should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers.
What is lebrikizumab?
Lebrikizumab (Ebglyss®) is a medication in the form of a shot (injection) that has been used to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) that is hard to treat with topical therapies (used on the skin). MotherToBaby has a fact sheet on atopic dermatitis at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/atopic-dermatitis/.
Sometimes when women find out they are pregnant, they think about changing how they take their medication, or stopping their medication altogether. However, it is important to talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to how you take your medication. Your healthcare providers can talk with you about the benefits of treating your condition and the risks of untreated illness during pregnancy.
I take lebrikizumab. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
Studies have not been done to see if taking lebrikizumab can make it harder to get pregnant.
Does taking lebrikizumab increase the chance of miscarriage?
Miscarriage is common and can occur in any pregnancy for many different reasons. Studies have not been done to see if lebrikizumab can increase the chance of miscarriage.
Does taking lebrikizumab increase the chance of birth defects?
Birth defects can happen in any pregnancy for different reasons. Out of all babies born each year, about 3 out of 100 (3%) will have a birth defect. We look at research studies to try to understand if an exposure, like lebrikizumab, might increase the chance of birth defects in a pregnancy. Human studies have not been done to see if lebrikizumab can increase the chance of birth defects. An animal study did not find an increased chance of birth defects when lebrikizumab was used in pregnancy.
Does taking lebrikizumab in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?
Studies have not been done to see if lebrikizumab can increase the chance of pregnancy-related problems such as preterm delivery (birth before week 37) or low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces [2,500 grams] at birth).
Does taking lebrikizumab during pregnancy affect a child’s future behavior or learning?
Studies have not been done to see if lebrikizumab can affect a child’s future behavior or learning.
Can my baby receive live vaccines before one year of age if I take lebrikizumab while pregnant?
Since lebrikizumab might suppress some of a person’s immune system, there is a theoretical concern that the same thing could happen to the baby if they were exposed during pregnancy. If someone has a weakened immune system, they might be more likely to develop an infection from a live vaccine. Live vaccines contain a small amount of live virus. Inactivated vaccines do not contain live virus, so they cannot cause the disease they protect against. In the United States, rotavirus is the only live vaccine routinely given in the first year of life. Most people can get inactivated vaccines in the first year of life.
Talk with your child’s healthcare provider about your exposure to lebrikizumab during pregnancy. They can talk with you about the vaccines your child should receive and the best time for your child to receive them.
Breastfeeding while taking lebrikizumab:
Lebrikizumab has not been studied for use in humans while breastfeeding. Based on the size of the lebrikizumab molecules, it is thought that the chance it enters the breastmilk is low. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all your breastfeeding questions.
If a man takes lebrikizumab, could it affect fertility or increase the chance of birth defects?
Studies have not been done to see if lebrikizumab could affect male fertility (ability to make healthy sperm) or increase the chance of birth defects. In general, exposures in men are less likely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more general information, please see the MotherToBaby sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.
Help us find answers to common questions!
MotherToBaby is currently conducting a study looking at Ebglyss® (lebrikizumab) and other medications used to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) in pregnancy. If you are interested in learning more about this study, please call 1-877-311-8972 or visit https://mothertobaby.org/join-study/.
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