Everolimus

Date: March 2025, Version 4.0

Quick read

Everolimus can be used in pregnancy if recommended by a specialist.

What is it?

Everolimus (Cerican®, Afinitor®, Votubia®) is a medicine that lowers the immune response. It is used after a transplant to prevent organ rejection. Everolimus is also used to treat some types of cancer, and to reduce complications caused by a genetic condition called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC).

Benefits

What are the benefits of taking everolimus in pregnancy?

Everolimus helps to stop your body rejecting a transplanted organ. It can also stop or slow down tumour growth in people with certain cancers and TSC.

Risks

Are there any risks of taking everolimus during pregnancy?

Very few pregnant women taking everolimus have been studied, and while no obvious problems have been noted, more women need to be studied to rule out any ill-effects.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to taking everolimus?

Possibly. If you are taking everolimus and planning a pregnancy or find out you are pregnant, you should speak to your doctor to see if you need to switch to a different medicine. For some women, continuing everolimus in pregnancy may be necessary to keep them well.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take medicines during pregnancy?

Not having the correct treatment can be dangerous to you and can also lead to pregnancy complications.

Your doctor will only prescribe medicines when necessary and will be happy to talk through any concerns.

Do not stop everolimus without speaking to your midwife, GP or specialist.

Will my baby need extra monitoring?

All pregnant women in the UK should be offered a detailed anomaly scan as part of their routine antenatal care. This is normally carried out at around 20 weeks of pregnancy but may be offered slightly earlier in women taking everolimus.

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

We do not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father takes everolimus.

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 health care 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.