BEVACIZUMAB LEVELS IN BREAST MILK AFTER LONG-TERM INTRAVITREAL INJECTIONS.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether bevacizumab is detectable in the breast milk of nursing mothers.

Methods: Breast milk samples were collected from 2 patients receiving monthly intravitreal bevacizumab injections for choroidal neovascularization over the course of 16 months. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot analysis was used to determine the levels of bevacizumab in the milk samples.

Results: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed using antibodies specific to bevacizumab in which the sensitivity threshold was 3 ng/mL. All breast milk samples assayed from the two patients actively undergoing treatment did not have detectable levels of bevacizumab. Samples collected 1.5 hours and 7 hours after an injection and 2 randomly chosen samples were negative by Western blot analysis.

Conclusion: A sensitive assay to detect bevacizumab in breast milk samples assayed suggests that intravitreal injections do not result in detectable bevacizumab in breast milk.