Abstract
Purpose
Ranibizumab is used in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Although systemic exposure to ranibizumab is low after ocular administration, its mechanism of action must be regarded as potentially teratogenic and embryo-fetotoxic. Women are advised to wait 3 months after the last dose of treatment with ranibizumab before conceiving. Little is known about the fetal side-effects of this drug.
Methods
Three pregnant women were treated with ranibizumab. One patient had idiopathic CNV.
Results
After receiving injections at 10 and 21 weeks after her last menstrual period (LMP), she gave birth to a healthy child. The second patient had myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) and was treated by a single injection at 17 weeks post LMP. She gave birth to a healthy child after an uneventful pregnancy. The third patient had CNV secondary to a punctuate inner choroiditis. The injection was performed at 8 weeks post LMP. This patient presented a cholestasis of pregnancy at 36 weeks post LMP and gave birth at 38 weeks post LMP to a child that did not present any malformations.
Conclusions
This case series describes three women who underwent intravitreal ranibizumab treatment during pregnancy without showing any obstetric, embryofetal or neonatal complications.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Miriam Balstad for reading this paper and giving us her valuable advises.
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Michel Weber receives fees as a consultant for the company Novartis. The other authors do not have any conflict of interest.
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Fossum, P., Couret, C., Briend, B. et al. Safety of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab in early pregnancy: a series of three cases. Eye 32, 830–832 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2017.305
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.2017.305
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