Outcome of pregnancy in women receiving infliximab for the treatment of Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Objectives: Infliximab is approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn's disease (CD). We report the first large series of pregnancy outcomes in women with RA and CD exposed to infliximab.

Methods: The infliximab safety database was queried for all reports of pregnancy. Data were extracted regarding the indication for infliximab, timing of infliximab relative to conception, pregnancy course, and pregnancy outcome. The proportion of live births, miscarriages, and therapeutic terminations for women directly exposed to infliximab before or during confirmed pregnancy were compared to those expected for the general U.S. population of pregnant women and pregnant women with CD not exposed to infliximab.

Results: Of the 146 identified pregnancies, 131 involved women exposed directly to infliximab and outcome data were available for 96 of these women. Live births occurred in 67% (64/96), miscarriages in 15% (14/96), and therapeutic termination in 19% (18/96) of the pregnancies directly exposed to infliximab with available outcome data. These results are similar to those expected for the general U.S. population of pregnant women or pregnant women with CD not exposed to infliximab.

Conclusion: Data from the infliximab safety database suggest that infliximab exposure during pregnancy results in outcomes that do not differ from those in the U.S. population of pregnant women and pregnant women with CD not exposed to infliximab. No increased risk of adverse outcome was detected, however, follow-up of larger numbers of pregnant women exposed to infliximab will be necessary to definitively exclude any fetal risk.