Ebastine during pregnancy and lactation in a patient with chronic urticaria: ebastine and carebastine levels in maternal serum, cord blood, breast milk and the infant’s serum

Abstract

Ebastine, a potent and selective second‐generation histamine H1 receptor antagonist with long‐lasting activity, is currently available in many countries for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria. It is a pro‐drug that is extensively metabolized to carebastine, its active carboxylic acid metabolite, by the hepatic microsomal isoenzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP). Ebastine has been demonstrated to be efficacious and well‐tolerated in patients with allergic rhinitis or chronic urticaria in multiple clinical trials. Several recent clinical trials have also confirmed that ebastine is one of the lowest‐risk antihistamines in terms of cardiac adverse effects. Despite its excellent safety profile, there are few published studies of the use of ebastine in pregnant and lactating women. In this case report, we discussed the clinical usefulness of ebastine with reference to drug concentrations in maternal and neonatal blood and breast milk.