AASLD 2013: Research Confirms Antivirals Safe in Pregnant Women



— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate

Does antiviral treatment over an entire pregnancy harm the infant? Researchers followed infants born to 200 women treated with the antiviral telbivudine (Tyzeka) for most of their pregnancies for up to four years to see what impact the antiviral treatment had on the children's development. None of the 202 infants were infected with HBV and all developed normally, without any birth defects or abnormalities. (1)

Infants born to 14 women treated with tenofovir over the entire course of their pregnancy were all healthy without any side effects from their mothers' antiviral treatment. None became HBV-infected and there were no safety issues reported, even among women who breastfed their babies while taking tenofovir. (2)

1. Control ID: 1736328. Long-term safety and efficacy of infants born to telbivudine treated highly viremic mothers with HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) during 2nd or 3rd trimester. (Abstract #935)

2. Control ID 1737088. Efficacy and safety results of tenofovir DF (TDF) treatment from the first trimester in HBV pregnant women in real-life clinical practice. (Abstract #952)

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