Systematic review and meta-analysis: Safety of vedolizumab during pregnancy in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Background and Aim Vedolizumab is a novel monoclonal antibody used in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, often affecting women of child-bearing age. We aimed to compare maternal and fetal adverse outcomes in pregnancies of women with inflammatory bowel disease exposed to vedolizumab versus those on other treatment. Methods We performed a systematic literature search through December 2020 looking for studies including outcomes from pregnancies of female inflammatory bowel disease patients treated with vedolizumab. Our primary outcome was a composite of adverse pregnancy-related events in pregnancies of female patients on vedolizumab compared with those of disease-matched controls on other medication regimens. Events of interest included preterm births, early loss of pregnancy, late fetal death, elective termination of pregnancy, and congenital anomalies. Results Four studies were included in our review meeting criteria for our primary analysis. Compared with those with no vedolizumab exposure, pregnancies with vedolizumab exposure had an increase in overall adverse pregnancy-related outcomes (odds ratio [OR] 2.18, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.52-3.13). The vedolizumab group also had increased preterm births (OR 2.16, 95% CI, 1.28-3.66), and early loss of pregnancies (OR 1.79, 95% CI, 1.06-3.01) but no difference in number of live births (OR 0.60, 95%CI, 0.36-1.00), or congenital malformations (OR 1.56, 95% CI, 0.56-4.37). Conclusions Our systematic review highlights possible concern with the general safety of vedolizumab in pregnancy, as an increase in overall total unfavorable outcomes was observed. Premature births and early loss of pregnancy were also more prevalent in pregnant female patients on vedolizumab. It is possible these findings are confounded by disease activity, and further prospective cohort studies of vedolizumab and pregnancy outcomes are warranted.

Automated summary

The study showed that pregnancies of women with inflammatory bowel disease exposed to vedolizumab may have increased adverse outcomes, including preterm births and early loss of pregnancy. However, these findings may be confounded by disease activity, and further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these results.