Miltefosine

FDA label, Profounda, Inc., oral, effective 2026-09-30. Full label on DailyMed

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From MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine

Quoted from the FDA label. Product labels differ by manufacturer and change over time; confirm against the label for the product you are using.

Boxed warning

WARNING: EMBRYO-FETAL TOXICITY IMPAVIDO may cause fetal harm. Fetal death and teratogenicity occurred in animals administered miltefosine at doses lower than the recommended human dose. Do not administer IMPAVIDO to pregnant women. Obtain a serum or urine pregnancy test in females of reproductive potential prior to prescribing IMPAVIDO. Females of reproductive potential should be advised to use effective contraception during IMPAVIDO therapy and for 5 months after therapy [see Contraindications ( 4.1 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ), Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 , 8.8 ) and Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )] .

WARNING: EMBRYO-FETAL TOXICITY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. IMPAVIDO may cause fetal harm. Fetal death and teratogenicity, occurred in animals administered miltefosine at doses lower than the recommended human dose. Do not administer IMPAVIDO to pregnant women. Obtain a serum or urine pregnancy test in females of reproductive potential prior to prescribing IMPAVIDO. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during therapy and for 5 months after therapy ( 4.1 , 5.1 , 8.1 , 8.8 , 13.1 ).

Handling and access

NIOSH hazardous drug

Table 2

NIOSH lists miltefosine as a hazardous drug. AHFS class: 8:30.92 miscellaneous antiprotozoals.

  • Meets the NIOSH definition of a hazardous drug (carcinogenicity, developmental or reproductive toxicity, organ toxicity at low doses, or genotoxicity) without MSHI or a Group 1 or 2A carcinogen classification.
  • Only a developmental and/or reproductive hazard: precautions matter most for workers who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive.

Handle with the precautions your facility uses for hazardous drugs (USP <800>). NIOSH's Managing Hazardous Drug Exposures lists controls by drug form and activity.

Source: NIOSH List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024December 2024, updates through Jul 17, 2025

Antileishmanial

Dosing in kidney impairment

Renal Impairment Patients with serum creatinine or BUN levels ≥1.5 times the upper limit of normal were excluded from the clinical studies. Miltefosine pharmacokinetics have not been studied in patients with renal impairment.

Dosing in liver impairment

Hepatic Impairment Patients with serum levels of ALT or AST ≥3 times the upper limit of normal and bilirubin levels ≥2 times the upper limit of normal were excluded from the clinical studies. Miltefosine pharmacokinetics have not been studied in patients with hepatic impairment.

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  • Miltefosine
Label text (1 paragraph)

In vitro and animal metabolism studies showed that miltefosine did not markedly induce or inhibit the activity of the major human cytochrome P450 enzymes [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . The potential of miltefosine to interact with drug transporters has not been evaluated. IMPAVIDO did not inhibit human cytochrome P450 enzymes in vitro. IMPAVIDO did not induce cytochrome 3A activity in rats( 7 , 12.3 ).

Contraindications

Pregnancy ( 4.1 , 8.1 , 8.8 , 13.1 ). Sjögren-Larsson-Syndrome ( 4.2 , 12.3 ). Hypersensitivity to miltefosine or any of its excipients ( 4.3 ).

4.1 Pregnancy IMPAVIDO may cause fetal harm. IMPAVIDO is contraindicated in pregnant women. Obtain a urine or serum pregnancy test prior to prescribing IMPAVIDO [see Boxed Warning and Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] .

4.2 Sjögren-Larsson-Syndrome IMPAVIDO is contraindicated in patients who have Sjögren-Larsson-Syndrome [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .

4.3 Hypersensitivity IMPAVIDO is contraindicated in patients who are hypersensitive to miltefosine or any IMPAVIDO excipients.

Safety data

Reported adverse events (FAERS)

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Source: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System via openFDA

Liver injury (LiverTox)

E

Likelihood score E: Unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury.

Miltefosine is an orally available, alkyl phospholipid that is used in the treatment of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. Miltefosine therapy is often accompanied by transient mild-to-moderate serum aminotransferase elevations during the first 1 or 2 weeks of treatment, but has not been implicated in cases of clinically apparent liver injury with jaundice.

ABCDEA: well known cause; E: unlikely cause. [HD]: high doses only.

Source: LiverTox: Miltefosine (NIDDK, public domain)Chapter updated Mar 15, 2017

Pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Category D Risk Summary IMPAVIDO may cause fetal harm. Human pregnancy data are not available, however, embryo-fetal toxicity including death and teratogenicity, was observed in embryo-fetal studies in rats and rabbits administered oral miltefosine during organogenesis at doses that were respectively 0.06 and 0.2 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD), based on body surface area (BSA) comparison. Numerous visceral and skeletal fetal malformations were observed in a fertility study in female rats administered miltefosine prior to mating through day 7 of pregnancy at doses 0.3 times the MRHD. Do not administer IMPAVIDO to pregnant women.

Clinical Considerations During pregnancy, visceral leishmaniasis may be life-threatening for the mother and may result in adverse fetal outcomes, including spontaneous abortion, congenital disease due to vertical transmission, small for gestational age newborn, and severe anemia. During pregnancy, cutaneous leishmaniasis may manifest with larger and atypical appearing lesions and may be associated with increased risk for adverse fetal outcomes, including preterm births and stillbirths.

Animal Data Miltefosine administration in rat embryo-fetal toxicity studies during early embryonic development (Day 6 to Day 15 of gestation) caused embryo-fetal toxicity including death and teratogenicity at dosages of ≥ 1.2 mg/kg/day (0.06 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison). Teratogenic effects included undeveloped cerebrum, hemorrhagic fluid filling the lumina of the skull, cleft palate and generalized edema. Embryo-fetal toxicity was also observed in rabbits after oral administration of miltefosine during organogenesis (Day 6 to Day 18 of gestation) at doses ≥ 2.4 mg/kg/day (0.2 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison).

In both rats and rabbits, there were no viable litters at miltefosine doses ≥ 6.0 mg/kg/day (0.3 or 0.6 times the MRHD based on BSA comparisons for rats and rabbits respectively). In a separate female fertility study in rats, miltefosine doses ≥ 6.81 mg/kg/day (0.3 times the MRHD based on BSA comparison) administered for four weeks before mating and up to Day 7 of pregnancy produced numerous visceral (misshapen cerebral structures, dilated ventricles filled with brown masses, misshapen spinal cord, misshapen and malpositioned eyes, hypophysis, and absent inner ear) and skeletal (cleft palate, dumbbell-shaped ossification of thoracic vertebral centers, markedly enlarged skull bones, and markedly dilated suturae) fetal malformations. [see Contraindications ( 4.1 ), Nonclinical…

Lactation

8.3 Nursing Mothers It is not known whether IMPAVIDO is present in human milk. Because many drugs are present in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from IMPAVIDO, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother. Breastfeeding should be avoided for 5 months after IMPAVIDO therapy.

For breastfeeding, also see LactMed (National Library of Medicine), which summarizes milk levels and infant effects.

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