Emend and Pregnancy

In animal studies on Emend and pregnancy, the drug did not cause any problems when it was given in high doses to pregnant rabbits and rats. The medication appears to be safe for temporary use during pregnancy but should not be used long-term. If you are taking Emend and pregnancy occurs, your healthcare provider will weigh both the benefits and risks before making a recommendation.

 

An Overview of Emend and Pregnancy

Emend® (aprepitant) is a prescription nausea and vomiting medication. It is approved to be used temporarily or intermittently to prevent nausea and vomiting due to surgery or chemotherapy. While Emend appears to be safe for temporary or short-term use in pregnancy, it should not be used long-term.
 

Emend and Pregnancy Category B

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses a pregnancy category system to classify the possible risks to a fetus when a specific medicine is taken during pregnancy. Pregnancy Category B is given to medicines that have not been studied in pregnant humans but do not appear to cause harm to the fetus in animal studies.
 
Emend has been studied at high doses in pregnant rats and rabbits without causing any problems. However, it is important to note that animals do not always respond to medicines the same way that humans do. Therefore, a pregnancy Category B medicine should be given to a pregnant woman only if the healthcare provider believes that the benefits to the pregnant woman outweigh any possible risks to the unborn child.
 
Emend should not be used to treat nausea and vomiting associated with pregnancy. The drug has never been studied for long-term use; it is meant to be used for three days at a time, at most. It is not known if Emend has any long-term side effects, and it not known if it is safe when used for more than a few days at a time.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD; Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Kristi Monson, PharmD;