This sheet is about exposure to tildrakizumab in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider.
What is tildrakizumab?
Tildrakizumab is a medication used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. It has been sold under the brand name Ilumya®. For more information about psoriasis in pregnancy, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet on psoriasis at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/psoriasis-and-pregnancy/.
I take tildrakizumab. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
Studies have not been done in humans to see if tildrakizumab could make it harder to get pregnant. Animals studies did not report an effect on fertility.
I just found out that I am pregnant. Should I stop taking tildrakizumab?
Talk with your healthcare providers before making any changes to this medication. They can go over your options, weighing the risks and benefits of treating or not treating your condition.
Does taking tildrakizumab increase the chance for miscarriage?
Miscarriage can occur in any pregnancy. A report of 14 human pregnancies exposed to tildrakizumab noted miscarriage in 2 pregnancies, which is similar to the rate of miscarriage in the general population. Animal studies did not report a higher chance for miscarriage.
Does taking tildrakizumab increase the chance of birth defects?
Every pregnancy starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect. This is called the background risk. A report of 14 human pregnancies exposed to tildrakizumab did note birth defects. Animal studies done by the manufacturer also did not show an increase in birth defects with exposure to tildrakizumab.
Could taking tildrakizumab cause other pregnancy complications?
It is not known if tildrakizumab can cause pregnancy complications in humans. A report of 14 human pregnancies exposed to tildrakizumab noted that one pregnancy delivered at 36 weeks of pregnancy, which is considered preterm delivery.
Does taking tildrakizumab in pregnancy cause long-term problems in behavior or learning for the baby?
It is not known if tildrakizumab can cause long-term problems in behavior or learning.
Can I breastfeed while taking tildrakizumab?
Tildrakizumab has not been studied during breastfeeding. Tildrakizumab is a very large protein, so not very much of it is expected to pass into breast milk. Other similar protein drugs are usually not detectable in breast milk. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your breastfeeding questions.
If a man takes tildrakizumab, could it affect fertility (ability to get partner pregnant) or increase the chance of birth defects?
There are no studies looking at possible risks to a pregnancy when a human male takes tildrakizumab. Animals studies did not report an effect on fertility. In general, exposures that males have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/.
MotherToBaby is currently conducting a study looking at tildrakizumab and other medications in pregnancy. If you are interested in learning more, please call 1-877-311-8972 or or visit https://mothertobaby.org/join-study.
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OTIS/MotherToBaby recognizes that not all people identify as “men” or “women.” When using the term “mother,” we mean the source of the egg and/or uterus and by “father,” we mean the source of the sperm, regardless of the person’s gender identity.
