Risk Summary

Limited data with TRULICITY in pregnant women are not sufficient to determine a drug-associated risk for major birth defects and miscarriage. There are clinical considerations regarding the risks of poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy [see Clinical Considerations]. Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be risks to the fetus from exposure to dulaglutide during pregnancy. TRULICITY should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

In pregnant rats administered dulaglutide during organogenesis, early embryonic deaths, fetal growth reductions, and fetal abnormalities occurred at systemic exposures at least 6-times human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 4.5 mg/week. In pregnant rabbits administered dulaglutide during organogenesis, major fetal abnormalities occurred at 5-times human exposure at the MRHD. Adverse embryo/fetal effects in animals occurred in association with decreased maternal weight and food consumption attributed to the pharmacology of dulaglutide [see Data].

The estimated background risk of major birth defects is 6–10% in women with pre-gestational diabetes with an HbA1c >7% and has been reported to be as high as 20–25% in women with an HbA1c >10%. The estimated background risk of miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2–4% and 15–20%, respectively.

Clinical Considerations

Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk

Poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery and delivery complications. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, stillbirth, and macrosomia-related morbidity.

Data

Animal Data

Pregnant rats given subcutaneous doses of 0.49, 1.63, or 4.89 mg/kg dulaglutide every 3 days during organogenesis had systemic exposures 2-, 6-, and 18-times human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 4.5 mg/week, respectively, based on plasma area under the time-concentration curve (AUC) comparison. Reduced fetal weights associated with decreased maternal food intake and decreased weight gain attributed to the pharmacology of dulaglutide were observed at ≥1.63 mg/kg. Irregular skeletal ossifications and increases in post-implantation loss also were observed at 4.89 mg/kg.

In pregnant rabbits given subcutaneous doses of 0.04, 0.12, or 0.41 mg/kg dulaglutide every 3 days during organogenesis, systemic exposures in pregnant rabbits were 0.5-, 2-, and 5-times human exposure at the MRHD, based on plasma AUC comparison. Fetal visceral malformation of lung lobular agenesis and skeletal malformations of the vertebrae and/or ribs were observed in conjunction with decreased maternal food intake and decreased weight gain attributed to the pharmacology of dulaglutide at 0.41 mg/kg.

In a prenatal-postnatal study in F0 maternal rats given subcutaneous doses of 0.2, 0.49, or 1.63 mg/kg every third day from implantation through lactation, systemic exposures in pregnant rats were 1-, 2-, and 7-times human exposure at the MRHD, based on plasma AUC comparison. F1 pups from F0 maternal rats given 1.63 mg/kg dulaglutide had statistically significantly lower mean body weight from birth through postnatal day 63 for males and postnatal day 84 for females. F1 offspring from F0 maternal rats receiving 1.63 mg/kg dulaglutide had decreased forelimb and hindlimb grip strength and males had delayed balano-preputial separation. Females had decreased startle response. These physical findings may relate to the decreased size of the offspring relative to controls as they appeared at early postnatal assessments but were not observed at a later assessment. F1 female offspring of the F0 maternal rats given 1.63 mg/kg of dulaglutide had a longer mean escape time and a higher mean number of errors relative to concurrent control during 1 of 2 trials in the memory evaluation portion of the Biel water maze. These findings occurred in conjunction with decreased F0 maternal food intake and decreased weight gain attributed to the pharmacologic activity at 1.63 mg/kg. The human relevance of these memory deficits in the F1 female rats is not known.