Enfuvirtide

The Basics

What is Enfuvirtide?

Used along with other medications to treat HIV.

Brand names for Enfuvirtide

Fuzeon

How Enfuvirtide is classified

Anti-Infective Agents, Anti-HIV Agents, Antiviral Agents, Anti-Retroviral Agents, HIV Fusion Inhibitors

Enfuvirtide During Pregnancy

Enfuvirtide pregnancy category

Category Not AssignedNote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.

What we know about taking Enfuvirtide while pregnant

Prospective pregnancy data from the APR are not sufficient to adequately assess the risk of birth defects or fetal outcomes. Limited number of reports on the use of enfuvirtide during pregnancy has been submitted to the APR and the number of exposures to enfuvirtide is insufficient to make a risk assessment compared to a reference population. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. The estimated background rate for major birth defects is 2.7% in the U.S. reference population of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP). The estimated rate of miscarriage is not reported in the APR. The estimated background rate of miscarriage in the U.S. general population is 15–20%. In animal reproduction studies, no adverse developmental effects were observed with subcutaneous administration of enfuvirtide at exposures greater than or equal to approximately 2 times higher than human exposure at the recommended human dose (RHD) based on surface area (see Data). Data Animal Data In the embryofetal development studies, enfuvirtide was administered by subcutaneous injection to pregnant rats at doses up to 500 mg/kg/day from gestation days 6 to 17, and to pregnant rabbits at doses up to 30 mg/kg/day from gestation days 6 to 18. No embryofetal toxicities were observed at doses up to the highest doses tested (27 times and 3.2 times higher than human exposure at the RHD in rats and rabbits, respectively, based on surface area). In the pre/postnatal development study, enfuvirtide was administered by subcutaneous injection to pregnant rats at doses up to 30 mg/kg/day from gestation day 6 to postnatal day 20. No toxicities were observed at doses up to 30 mg/kg/day (1.6 times higher than human exposure at the RHD based on surface area).

Taking Enfuvirtide While Breastfeeding

What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Enfuvirtide?

In the United States and other developed countries, HIV-infected mothers should generally not breastfeed their infants. No published information is available on the use of enfuvirtide during breastfeeding. In countries in which no acceptable, feasible, sustainable and safe replacement feeding is available, World Health Organization guidelines recommend that all women with an HIV infection who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be maintained on antiretroviral therapy for at least the duration of risk for mother-to-child transmission. Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months of life; breastfeeding with complementary feeding should continue through at least 12 months of life up to 24 months of life.[1] The first choice regimen for nursing mothers is tenofovir, efavirenz and either lamivudine or emtricitabine. If these drugs are unavailable, alternative regimens include: 1) zidovudine, lamivudine and efavirenz; 2) zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine; or 3) tenofovir, nevirapine and either lamivudine or emtricitabine. Exclusively breastfed infants should also receive 6 weeks of prophylaxis with nevirapine.[2][3]

Maternal / infant drug levels

In the United States and other developed countries, HIV-infected mothers should generally not breastfeed their infants. No published information is available on the use of enfuvirtide during breastfeeding. In countries in which no acceptable, feasible, sustainable and safe replacement feeding is available, World Health Organization guidelines recommend that all women with an HIV infection who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be maintained on antiretroviral therapy for at least the duration of risk for mother-to-child transmission. Mothers should exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first 6 months of life; breastfeeding with complementary feeding should continue through at least 12 months of life up to 24 months of life.[1] The first choice regimen for nursing mothers is tenofovir, efavirenz and either lamivudine or emtricitabine. If these drugs are unavailable, alternative regimens include: 1) zidovudine, lamivudine and efavirenz; 2) zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine; or 3) tenofovir, nevirapine and either lamivudine or emtricitabine. Exclusively breastfed infants should also receive 6 weeks of prophylaxis with nevirapine.[2][3]

Possible effects of Enfuvirtide on milk supply

Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.

Possible alternatives to Enfuvirtide

None listed