Ciclosporin

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Date: August 2026, Version 4.0

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Ciclosporin can be used in pregnancy if recommended by a specialist.

What is it?

Ciclosporin (Capimune®, Capsorin®, Cequa®, Deximune®, Ikervis®, Neoral®, Sandimmun®, Vanquoral®, Verkazia®, Vevizye®) is used to treat inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, such as ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, nephrotic syndrome, uveitis and psoriasis, and to prevent the rejection of transplanted organs.  

Benefits

What are the benefits of taking ciclosporin in pregnancy?

Ciclosporin stops your immune system from attacking your body’s tissues and reduces the symptoms of some inflammatory conditions. Ciclosporin may also lower the chance of some pregnancy problems linked to uncontrolled inflammation, including miscarriage and having a baby with a low birth weight.

If you have had an organ transplant, ciclosporin helps prevent organ rejection, which would be dangerous for both you and your baby.

Risks

Are there any risks of taking ciclosporin in pregnancy?

Use of ciclosporin in pregnancy is not known to cause problems for your baby.

Alternatives

Are there any alternatives to taking ciclosporin in pregnancy?

Possibly. If you are taking ciclosporin and planning a pregnancy, please arrange to see your doctor or specialist to decide whether ciclosporin is still the best treatment for you.

No treatment

What if I prefer not to take medicines in pregnancy?

Poorly controlled inflammatory disease can put your pregnancy at risk as it is linked to miscarriage, preterm delivery and low infant birth weight. To help reduce the chance of these outcomes and to stop an inflammatory disease from flaring, you will likely be advised to take some form of medication during pregnancy.

A doctor will only prescribe medicines when necessary and will be happy to talk about any concerns.

Will I or my baby need extra monitoring?

As part of routine antenatal care in the UK, women are invited for a very detailed scan at around 20 weeks of pregnancy to check the baby’s development. No further scans to check for birth defects will be required, although you might be offered some extra growth scans. 

You may be offered regular check ups during and after pregnancy while taking ciclosporin. Pregnancy can change the way your body processes this medicine, which may affect the amount of ciclosporin in your blood. Blood tests will be used to monitor your ciclosporin levels and to ensure you are receiving the correct dose. 

Are there any risks to my baby if the father has used ciclosporin?

There is no evidence that ciclosporin used by the father can harm the baby through effects on sperm.

Who can I talk to if I have questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information in this leaflet, please discuss them with your health care provider. They can access more detailed medical and scientific information from www.uktis.org.

How can I help to improve drug safety information for pregnant women in the future?

Our online reporting system (MyBump Portal) allows women who are currently pregnant to create a secure record of their pregnancy, collected through a series of questionnaires. You will be asked to enter information about your health, whether or not you take any medicines, your pregnancy outcome and your child's development. You can update your details at any time during pregnancy or afterwards. This information will help us better understand how medicines affect the health of pregnant women and their babies. Please visit the MyBump Portal to register.

General information
Sadly, miscarriage and birth defects can occur in any pregnancy.

Miscarriage occurs in about 1 in every 5 pregnancies, and 1 in every 40 babies are born with a birth defect. This is called the ‘background risk’ and happens whether medication is taken or not.

Most medicines cross the placenta and reach the baby. For many medications this is not a problem. However, some medicines can affect a baby’s growth and development.

If you take regular medication and are planning to conceive, you should discuss whether your medicine is safe to continue with your doctor/health care team before becoming pregnant. If you have an unplanned pregnancy while taking a medicine, you should tell your doctor as soon as possible.

If a new medicine is suggested for you during pregnancy, please make sure that the person prescribing it knows that you are pregnant. If you have any concerns about a medicine, you can check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist.

Our Bumps information leaflets provide information about the effects of medicines in pregnancy so that you can decide, together with your healthcare provider, what is best for you and your baby.