Teratogenicities of Ophthalmic Drugs

Antiviral treatment and other therapeutic interventions for herpes simplex virus epithelial keratitis

“…Selective enrolment according to age or gender could reflect under-representation of children, the elderly, and women in clinical drug trials (Van Spall 2007). Women of childbearing potential have often been systematically deemed ineligible for topical ophthalmic antiviral trials because of an unproven concern about antiviral teratogenicity during pregnancy (Ahrens 2013; Chung 2004; Itoi 1975; Pasternak 2010). Among studies that examined the effect of patient characteristics on outcome, neither age nor gender influenced the rate of corneal healing during antiviral therapy for HSV epithelial keratitis (de Koning 1982; de Koning 1983; Jackson 1984; McCulley 1982; van Bijsterveld 1980; van Bijsterveld 1989).…”

Antiviral treatment and other therapeutic interventions for herpes simplex virus epithelial keratitis

“…Some, but not all, study reports suggested that males are more likely to be diagnosed and treated for HSV epithelial keratitis (Gundersen 1936; HEDS Group 1997; Wilhelmus 1981b). Females are under-represented in clinical trials of chemotherapy (Van Spall 2007), and women of child-bearing potential may have been selectively excluded from ophthalmic antiviral treatment trials because of an unproven concern of teratogenicity during pregnancy (Chung 2004; Itoi 1975; Pasternak 2010). Neither gender nor age influences corneal healing during antiviral therapy (de Koning 1982; de Koning 1983; Jackson 1984; McCulley 1982; Van Bijsterveld 1980; Van Bijsterveld 1989).…”

Treatments for Ocular Diseases in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: A Narrative Review

“…Samples et al, who first discussed the use of eye drops during pregnancy in 1988, stated that antivirals should not be prescribed to women during pregnancy as they are based on molecules that can intercalate in DNA and RNA [10]. However, their theory was based on the teratogenic effect found in some species of animals treated with the first antivirals of idoxuridine and vidarabine [10,[67][68][69].…”