A Southampton charity is calling for urgent action to be taken over the shortage of a life-saving drug

Their chairman warns that it could contribute to an increase in deaths if not addressed quickly

A cancer charity based at Southampton General Hospital has called on the Government to act urgently because of the shortage of a drug that can prevent dangerous digestive problems in thousands of people on a wide range of medicines.

Neil Pearce, chairman of PLANETS Cancer Charity and former pancreatic cancer surgeon, has written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, expressing his “deep concern” about the lack of treatment for pancreatic enzyme (Pert).

The treatment is usually called Creon, which is the name of the most commonly used brand of the drug.

Mr Pearce warned that, unless urgent action is taken to implement a temporary solution, this could lead to excessive and avoidable deaths in this group of patients from sepsis and complications of diabetes. .

PLANETS, which helps patients with pancreatic, liver, colorectal, stomach (esophageal and gastric) and neuroendocrine (NET) cancers, estimates that around 20,000 people in the UK are affected by the condition.

Pert is prescribed to patients with pancreatic insufficiency caused by a variety of conditions including pancreatic cancer, pancreatic surgery, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis and neuroendocrine tumors.

Dependent patients experience severe stomach pains and an unpleasant type of diarrhea when they can’t get it – they usually take a few tablets with every meal to avoid these symptoms.

A spokesperson for PLANETS said:

“Lack of adequate Pert leads to malnutrition, rapid weight loss, fatigue, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, infections and, since many of these patients are have diabetes, their blood sugar becomes more difficult to control.

“The shortage is due to a number of factors including supply chain issues across Europe exacerbated by exit from the European Union, UK manufacturer shortages, and an increase in global demand due to the rise in the number of patients living with related conditions.

“Furthermore, current NHS rules prevent pharmacists from prescribing a generic product when a brand name is specified on a prescription and NHS pricing rules exclude devices that can be used from “unregistered” sources such as US manufacturers.”

Mr Pearce said:

“We are very concerned that the patients we represent remain at high risk of preventable, life-threatening complications due to the lack of Pert despite the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) safety alert being released.

“I am disheartened by the stories I hear every day, including those of pancreatic cancer patients who suffer avoidable pain and lack of dignity, and some of my patients in their 20s. those who are no longer able to leave the house because of their weight.

“It is clear that the well-intentioned safety awareness and accompanying advice is making no difference to patients in a community whose lives are now dominated by seeking this important treatment.”

The NPSA’s safety alert advises that procurement rules are being relaxed to allow the importation of Pert from unregistered sources, but Mr Pearce says there is no evidence that patients in the community are accessing these materials.

He added:

“Every day we hear stories of patients criss-crossing the country for stocked pharmacies and traveling 100 miles to get a month’s supply or, in some cases, capsules enough of this medicine to last the weekend.”

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We have inherited ongoing global supply problems which continue to affect the availability of medicines, including Creon.

“We know how painful this can be for patients and we are working closely with industry, the NHS and others in the supply chain to reduce the risk to patients and ensure that alternative products are available to treat see the regular is back in stock.”

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