Possible New Treatment for Pre-Eclampsia

In a world first, scientists in Australia believe they have found a safe new treatment for pre-eclampsia, a condition that 60,000 pregnant women die from globally each year.

Pre-eclampsia is a condition that can affect pregnant women after 20 weeks gestation. The condition involves destructive molecules that are released from the placenta into the mother’s bloodstream which can damage blood vessels. As a result, this causes high blood pressure which can damage vital organs including the liver, kidneys, brain, lungs and the body’s blood clotting abilities. Severe cases have caused seizures and death in the mum-to-be.

At present, the only way to treat pregnant women with pre-eclampsia is to induce birth, which can be dangerous for the baby if they are premature.

The recent findings of a medication that can treat pre-eclampsia has been well received. Researchers from the Translational Obstetrics Group at Mercy Hospital for Women and the University of Melbourne found when they conducted their laboratory studies on placentas from healthy pregnancies and those with pre-eclampsia, a drug used by diabetics was the most effective in blocking the toxins in the pre-eclampsia placentas.

The diabetic drug, Metformin, has already been deemed safe for pregnant women and their babies, so the Aussie scientists’ findings have been met with excitement.
Dr Fiona Brownfoot, who is the lead author of the study, which is being published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said she was excited by the findings of metformin because not only is it safe for pregnant women and their babies to use, it’s also off patent which means it can be reproduced and exported to third world countries where pre-eclampsia causes the most deaths in child birth.

Dr Brownfoot told Sydney Morning Herald, “It’s very cheap and it’s a tablet so you don’t need a fridge to store it, which means it could be the perfect drug for the third world,” she said.

The head of the study, Professor Stephen Tong explained pre-eclampsia affects 3-8 per cent of pregnant women. When the metformin is present, it not only stops the release of toxins present during pre-eclampsia, it also heals damaged blood vessels.

The only other drug that is being trialed to treat pre-eclampsia is Pravastatin (in the US and UK), but it carries risks for women and their babies.
In recent years, there has been increased research into metformin because it is believed to have prevented the spread of some cancers and promote life expectancy. At present, researchers are studying whether metformin can prevent uterine cancer in breast cancer patients.

News of the new treatment for pre-eclampsia has been met with enthusiasm. New mum Bianca Rotar, 31, suffered from pre-eclampsia and had to give birth to her daughter prematurely at 28 weeks. Her daughter has been in neonatal care since her birth 2 months ago. Baby Lexi weighed 623 grams when she was born. Ms Rotar admits, “It’s great news … I’m hoping I can try this drug next time around because I’ve been told I’m at high risk for other pregnancies,” she said.

Bianca Rotar with baby Lexi, Image Source