Janumet XR Use In Pregnancy & Lactation

Pregnancy: Pregnancy Category B.
Risk Summary: The limited available data with JANUMET XR in pregnant women are not sufficient to inform a drug-associated risk for major birth defects and miscarriage. Published studies with metformin use during pregnancy have not reported a clear association with metformin and major birth defect or miscarriage risk (see Data as follows). There are risks to the mother and fetus associated with poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy (see Clinical Considerations as follows). No adverse developmental effects were observed when sitagliptin was administered to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis at oral doses up to 30-times and 20-times, respectively, the 100 mg clinical dose, based on AUC. No adverse developmental effects were observed when metformin was administered to pregnant Sprague Dawley rats and rabbits during organogenesis at doses up to 2- and 6-times, respectively, a 2000 mg clinical dose, based on body surface area (see Data as follows).
The estimated background risk of major birth defects is 6-10% in women with pre-gestational diabetes with a Hemoglobin A1c >7% and has been reported to be as high as 20-25% in women with a Hemoglobin A1c >10%. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively.
Clinical Considerations: Disease-Associated Maternal and/or Embryo/Fetal Risk: Poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, and delivery complications. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, still birth, and macrosomia related morbidity.
Data: Human Data: Published data from post-marketing studies do not report a clear association with metformin and major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes when metformin is used during pregnancy.
However, these studies cannot definitely establish the absence of any risk because of methodological limitations, including small sample size and inconsistent comparator groups.
Animal Data: Sitagliptin and Metformin: No animal reproduction studies were conducted with the coadministration of sitagliptin and metformin.
Sitagliptin: In embryo-fetal development studies, sitagliptin administered to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis (gestation day 6 to 20) did not adversely affect developmental outcomes at oral doses up to 250 mg/kg (30-times the 100 mg clinical dose) and 125 mg/kg (20-times the 100 mg clinical dose), respectively, based on AUC. Higher doses in rats associated with maternal toxicity increased the incidence of rib malformations in offspring at 1000 mg/kg, or approximately 100-times the clinical dose, based on AUC. Placental transfer of sitagliptin was observed in pregnant rats and rabbits.
Sitagliptin administered to female rats from gestation day 6 to lactation day 21 caused no functional or behavioral toxicity in offspring of rats at doses up to 1000 mg/kg.
Metformin: Metformin did not cause adverse developmental effects when administered to pregnant Sprague Dawley rats and rabbits up to 600 mg/kg/day during the period of organogenesis. This represents an exposure of about 2- and 6-times a 2000 mg clinical dose based on body surface area (mg/m²) for rats and rabbits, respectively.
Nursing Mothers: Risk Summary: There is no information regarding the presence of JANUMET XR in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. Limited published studies report that metformin is present in human milk (see Data as follows). There are no reports of adverse effects on breastfed infants exposed to metformin. There is no information on the effects of metformin on milk production. Sitagliptin is present in rat milk and therefore possibly present in human milk (see Data as follows). The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for JANUMET XR and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from JANUMET XR or from the underlying maternal condition.
Data: Sitagliptin: Sitagliptin is secreted in the milk of lactating rats at a milk to plasma ratio of 4:1.
Metformin: Published clinical lactation studies report that metformin is present in human milk, which resulted in infant doses approximately 0.11% to 1% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage and a milk/plasma ratio ranging between 0.13 and 1. However, the studies were not designed to definitely establish the risk of use of metformin during lactation because of small sample size and limited adverse event data collected in infants.