Current, temporary, shortage of Creon in high units
Update on Creon shortage 12/07/2018
Creon 25k is now available, however, it is being delivered to Mylan’s main suppliers, speak with your pharmacist if they do not have it in stock yet.
There is still a shortage of Creon 40K, however, in emergency situations contact your pharmacist who can contact Mylan on your behalf. Mylan’s contact number is 01707853000.
“Mylan, the marketing authorization holder for Creon in the UK, is currently experiencing a temporary supply constraint of Creon 25K and Creon 40K”.
Will this affect me?
If you need pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, Creon® is still available in mirco and 10,000 dosage. The higher units of 10,000 and 25,000 are in the limited supply. If you will be affected by this, it will be discussed with you by a medical professional. However, you should always feel free to discuss the potential changes to your prescribing guidelines due to this temporary shortage, with your pharmacists or GP. It is likely you will have to take more tablets of smaller units, for example 10,000.
Mylan have stated that they are expecting normal stock levels of higher units to resume soon. We just wanted to make you aware of any small changes you might experience to your Creon® prescriptions.
Who is Mylan?
Mylan is a global healthcare company who provide pharmaceutical drugs around the world, offering their products to more than 165 countries.
Mylan is a provider of Creon® in the UK, however they are experiencing a temporary supply difficulty of Creon® 25,000 and Creon 40,000 units.
What is Pancreatic Exocrine insufficiency?
This is the inability to digest food properly due to a lack of digestive enzymes made by the pancreas. This can be a consequence of diseases such as cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis. However, this is also common problem in pancreatic cancer. If someone has gone through pancreatic surgery removing part of, or all of their pancreas their ability to produce digestive is affected or stopped completely. Problems digesting in pancreatic cancer can also be the consequence of the tumour in the pancreas, this can affect the ability of the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.
Many pancreatic cancer patients need to take enzyme replacements (PERT) to help them digest and break down food properly.
What is PERT (pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy)?
Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy involves taking the digestive enzymes you need in the form of a tablet (capsule). All enzyme supplements contain Pancreatin – a mixture of pancreatic enzymes, lipase, amylase and protease, which are currently extracted from pig pancreas glands. These assist the digestion of fat, carbohydrates and proteins. Enzyme doses vary from person to person.
The different pancreatic Cancer enzyme preparations include Creon®, Nutrizym®, Pancrease® and Pancrex®. They commonly come in 2 capsule sizes; 10,000 unit (mainly used in children) and 25,000 unit capsules. Each capsule has a different number or letter following the name to indicate the strength of the dose.
Creon® is the most commonly used brand.
If you would like to see more information on PERT, please click here.
If you would like additional information, talk to your pharmacist or GP. Additionally, you can call Mylan directly on +44(0) 1707 853 100, however they will not be able to supply you with specific treatment recommendations.