Agomelatine

Print
Date: October 2026, Version 4.0

Quick read

Agomelatine might be recommended during pregnancy if it is the best option to treat your depression.

What is it?

Agomelatine (Valdoxan®) is used to treat depression.

Benefits

What are the benefits of taking agomelatine in pregnancy?

Agomelatine can help improve your mood and sense of wellbeing. It is very important that depression is well treated during pregnancy to ensure you stay well and are able to care for yourself and your baby.

Risks

Are there any risks of taking agomelatine during pregnancy?

There are no studies of women who have taken agomelatine during pregnancy, so it is unclear whether it might affect an unborn baby’s development.

Agomelatine works through effects on chemicals in the brain. Medicines that work this way can sometimes cause short-term withdrawal symptoms in newborn babies if taken in the weeks before delivery. Your baby may need to be monitored for a few days after birth.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to taking agomelatine?

Possibly. Other medicines can be used to treat depression, so switching to a different treatment may be an option. However, if your depression is well-controlled with agomelatine, particularly if other drugs have not worked as well in the past, it may be safer for you to continue taking agomelatine.

If you are planning a pregnancy, please speak to your GP or specialist to make sure agomelatine is still the best treatment for you. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking agomelatine, please see your GP or specialist as soon as possible to discuss your treatment options.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?

It is very important that depression is well controlled during pregnancy. Discontinuing an antidepressant can cause your symptoms to return, and stopping suddenly may also cause withdrawal symptoms. 

Medicines are only prescribed during pregnancy if they are necessary. Your doctor or specialist will be happy to discuss the benefits and any risks and help you decide on the best treatment.

Do not stop agomelatine without first speaking to your GP or specialist.

Will my baby need extra monitoring?

All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a detailed anomaly scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy as part of their routine antenatal care. Because there are no studies of agomelatine use in pregnancy, you might be offered this scan from 16 weeks onwards. 

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has taken agomelatine?

We would not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father took agomelatine before or around the time of conception.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your healthcare provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system (MyBump Portal) allows women who are currently pregnant to create a secure record of their pregnancy, collected through a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, your pregnancy outcome and your child's development. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit the MyBump Portal to register.

General information
Sadly, miscarriage and birth defects can occur in any pregnancy.

Miscarriage occurs in about 1 in every 5 pregnancies, and 1 in every 40 babies are born with a birth defect. This is called the ‘background risk’ and happens whether medication is taken or not.

Most medicines cross the placenta and reach the baby. For many medications this is not a problem. However, some medicines can affect a baby’s growth and development.

If you take regular medication and are planning to conceive, you should discuss whether your medicine is safe to continue with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking a medicine, you should tell your doctor as soon as possible.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please make sure that the person prescribing it knows that you are pregnant. If you have any concerns about a medicine, you can check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Our Bumps information leaflets provide information about the effects of medicines in pregnancy so that you can decide, together with your healthcare provider, what is best for you and your baby.