This sheet talks 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 is given by an injection under the skin. It is sold under the brand name Ilumya™.
I take tildrakizumab. Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant?
Studies have not been done to see if tildrakizumab could make it harder for a woman to get pregnant.
I just found out that I am pregnant. Should I stop taking tildrakizumab?
Talk with your healthcare provider before making any changes to this medication. He or she can go over your options, weighing the risks and benefits of treating or not treating your condition. For more information about psoriasis in pregnancy, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet on psoriasis in pregnancy at https://mtborguat.wpengine.com/fact-sheets/psoriasis-and-pregnancy/.
Does taking tildrakizumab increase the chance for miscarriage?
Miscarriage can occur in any pregnancy. Studies have not been done to see if tildrakizumab increases the chance for miscarriage.
Does taking tildrakizumab in the first trimester increase the chance of birth defects?
In every pregnancy, a woman starts out with a 3-5% chance of having a baby with a birth defect. This is called her background risk. There are no human studies looking at exposure to tildrakizumab during pregnancy.
Animal studies done by the manufacturer did not show an increase in birth defects with exposure to tildrakizumab.
Could taking tildrakizumab in the second or third trimester cause other pregnancy complications?
It is not known if tildrakizumab can cause pregnancy complications. There are no human studies looking at exposure to tildrakizumab during pregnancy.
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?
No information is available on the use of tildrakizumab 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 his 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 the father takes tildrakizumab. In general, exposures that fathers have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy. For more information, please see the MotherToBaby fact sheet Paternal Exposures and Pregnancy at https://mothertobaby.org/fact-sheets/paternal-exposures-pregnancy/pdf.
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.
Selected References
- Iluyma® Prescribing Information. Available online at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/761067s000lbl.pdf. Accessed on August 7th, 2019.
