Sign Out
Women of childbearing potential: Physicians should discuss family planning and contraception with women of childbearing potential taking lacosamide (see Pregnancy as follows).
If a woman decides to become pregnant, the use of lacosamide should be carefully re-evaluated.
Pregnancy: Risk related to epilepsy and antiepileptic medicinal products in general: For all antiepileptic medicinal products, it has been shown that in the offspring of treated women with epilepsy, the prevalence of malformations is two to three times greater than the rate of approximately 3% in the general population. In the treated population, an increase in malformations has been noted with polytherapy, however, the extent to which the treatment and/or the illness is responsible has not been elucidated.
Moreover, effective antiepileptic therapy must not be interrupted, since the aggravation of the illness is detrimental to both the mother and the foetus.
Risk related to lacosamide: There are no adequate data from the use of lacosamide in pregnant women. Studies in animals did not indicate any teratogenic effects in rats or rabbits, but embryotoxicity was observed in rats and rabbits at maternal toxic doses (see Pharmacology: Toxicology: Preclinical safety data under Actions). The potential risk for humans is unknown.
Lacosamide should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary (if the benefit to the mother clearly outweighs the potential risk to the foetus). If women decide to become pregnant, the use of this product should be carefully re-evaluated.
Breastfeeding: Lacosamide is excreted in human breast milk. A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded. It is recommended that breast-feeding should be discontinued during treatment with lacosamide.
Fertility: No adverse reactions on male or female fertility or reproduction were observed in rats at doses producing plasma exposures (AUC) up to approximately 2 times the plasma AUC in humans at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD).
