- Use during Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnancy: the safety and efficacy of Artlegia during pregnancy are not well established. In animal studies, reproductive toxicity was not ruled out. It is assumed that IL-6 plays an important role in the cervix opening and, possibly, in the delivery of the placenta. Thus, the use of Artlegia may interfere with labor. In particular, an increase in the frequency of difficulty in labor with retained placenta and, in some cases, with significant vaginal bleeding was observed in animals. The significance of this information for humans is not known.
Six pregnancies were reported in clinical studies, in 5 of which patients received concomitant therapy with methotrexate. Out of the 6 cases of pregnancy, 2 pregnancies were terminated by the decision of the patient or physician (abortion), 2 pregnancies ended with the birth of a live child at term (one spontaneous vaginal birth, one delivery by cesarean section), 1 pregnancy was ectopic and therefore was also terminated, and the outcome of 1 pregnancy was a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage).
Before treatment with Artlegia, women of reproductive age should have a pregnancy test. The attending physician should explain in detail the risks of using Artlegia during pregnancy and instruct the patient of childbearing potential about the need to use highly effective methods of contraception and perform regular pregnancy tests during treatment and for at least 6 months after the last dose of Artlegia. In the event that a patient receiving Artlegia becomes pregnant, she should immediately stop using the drug and consult a doctor.
Olokizumab should not be used during pregnancy unless there is a clear clinical need.Lactation: the penetration of olokizumab into breast milk has not been studied. There are no clinical data on risks for a breastfed baby. Since Artlegia is indicated for use in combination with methotrexate, which is secreted into breast milk, it is recommended to stop breastfeeding when using the drug.
Fertility: There are no clinical data on the effect of olokizumab on human fertility.
During animal studies, no negative effects of olokizumab on fertility in male and female cynomolgus monkeys were found.