Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Panitumumab? Is Panitumumab safe for nursing mother and child? Does Panitumumab extracts into breast milk? Does Panitumumab has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Panitumumab influence milk supply or can Panitumumab decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Answer by DrLact: About Panitumumab usage in lactation

No information is available on the clinical use of panitumumab during breastfeeding. Because panitumumab is a large protein molecule with a molecular weight of about 147,000, the amount in milk is likely to be very low and absorption is unlikely because it is probably destroyed in the infant's gastrointestinal tract. Until more data become available, panitumumab should be used with caution during breastfeeding, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant. The manufacturer recommends that breastfeeding be discontinued during panitumumab therapy and for 2 months after the final dose. Panitumumab is a human immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) kappa antibody. Holder pasteurization (62.5 degrees C for 30 minutes) decreases the concentration of endogenous immunoglobulin G by up to 79%.[1][2] A study of 67 colostrum samples that underwent Holder pasteurization found that IgG amounts decreased by 34 to 40%. Specific IgG subclasses decreased by different amounts, with IgG2 activity decreasing by about 50%.[3] None of the studies measured IgG activity.
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