USA — Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has issued a warning regarding the potential depletion of Bicillin L-A, a drug used to treat syphilis and other bacterial infections in children.
The company cites the need to prioritize the production of adult versions of the drug due to a significant rise in syphilis infections among the adult population.
Furthermore, Pfizer has projected that another penicillin product, Bicillin C-R, employed for the treatment of upper-respiratory tract infections, is likely to run out in the third quarter.
Although the pediatric formulations of the antibiotic are not extensively utilized, Pfizer’s letter, posted on the Food and Drug Administration’s website, indicates that the children’s dosage of Bicillin L-A is expected to be depleted by the end of June.
This particular drug is crucial as it is the only medication capable of crossing the placenta to treat both pregnant individuals with syphilis and the infected fetus.
Recent years have witnessed a surge in the incidence of congenital syphilis, where the infection is transmitted to babies during pregnancy, with over 2,000 cases reported in 2021, according to the latest government data.
The shortage of essential antibiotics in the United States has been an ongoing concern since October. The increased demand for amoxicillin, the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, due to a rise in respiratory infections has resulted in shortages of the pediatric form.
This, in turn, has created a greater need for antibiotics like penicillin, which is effective in treating similar infections.
Unfortunately, Pfizer has revealed that the supply of penicillin, including its pediatric formulation, is also likely to run out soon due to other ongoing product shortages.
The company has disclosed that its penicillin products have been in short supply since April. These shortages occur concurrently with the scarcity of the widely used antibiotic amoxicillin since October.
Out of the six dosage forms manufactured by Pfizer, two combination doses are estimated to be back in stock by the third quarter of 2024, while two long-acting forms should be replenished by the second quarter of the same year.
The limited supply may be attributed, in part, to a raw material shortage affecting more than a dozen drug ingredients, including those used in medications such as Adderall.
Bindiya Vakil, CEO of Resilinc, a company specializing in supply chain issue management, noted this in a November interview.
According to the University of Utah’s drug information service, which monitors supply disruptions, drug shortages have reached a five-year high.
Congressional committees and a White House task force are actively working to address this persistent issue.
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