Wes Streeting says he is a “very sorry” patient who needs medicine due to pancreatic deficiency.
The health secretary said global supply chain issues prove “a hell of challenges,” admitted that “there are often huge anxiety when your prescription comes for renewal.”
Pancreatic Cancer UK warns that the drug Creon could last until at least 2026, affecting an estimated 61,152 people.
But what is Creon, what does it deal with, and how does the shortage affect people?
What is Creon?
Creon, along with Nutrizym and Pancrex, is the most popular brand of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT).
PERT requires the absorption of nutrients into enzymes with exocrine pancreatic dysfunction (EPI), essentially allowing food to be digested. This is because the condition means the pancreas cannot break proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
The medicine is served in tablet form and can be taken with most foods, including meals, snacks, and milky drinks.
There is no set dose of PERT. It is recommended that patients take food only when they feel they need to comfortably digest it.
Pancreatic Cancer According to the UK, Creon capsules can contain between 3,000 and 36,000 enzyme units, and this is very important as healthy pancreas usually make up to 720,000 units for small meals.
Pancreatic cancer patient Dangodley, 31; I previously told Sky News He takes up to 15 tablets per meal.
Who is affected by the EPI?
According to the NHS, EPIs can be brought in for no obvious reason, but are generally caused by acute or chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic surgery, cystic fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, gastric bypass surgery or celiac disease.
Less common causes include diabetes, untreated celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and HIV.
The symptoms of untreated EPI are the inability of food to absorb properly, moving the small intestine “straight” into the colon, often causing diarrhea, wind, convulsions and bloating.
This can lead to weight loss and malnutrition, as the body is unable to obtain sufficient fat-soluble vitamins and in some cases, it can eat more than necessary to avoid unpleasant symptoms.
It can also lead to low bone mass, weak immune system and increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. In children, it can also cause growth problems.
People with pancreatic cancer may feel sick to undergo surgery, the only way to cure the disease, potentially, and Pancreatic Cancer UK says they may not be able to withstand treatments such as chemotherapy.
Why is there a shortage?
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (DHSC) says that the ongoing lack of Creon, which has been ongoing for more than a year, depends on supplying the problems caused by the limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints.
Nutrizym has also suffered from manufacturing problems amid the Creon shortage and suffered from increasing demand, but Pancrex has also been unable to close the gap.
The government is calling for the shortage from the National Pharmacy Association to address the shortage.
A DHSC spokesperson said the government is “working closely with industry, NHS, manufacturers and other partners in the supply chain to resolve the impact of these supply issues as quickly as possible.”
Speaking to BBC breakfast on Friday, Streeting said there was a “global supply chain issue” and that the UK is “actively working to strengthen supply chain resilience.”
“This isn’t easy,” he said.
“It’s a shame for people in this position to be affected by these deficiencies, whether it’s Creon or other drugs.”
He said there could be “a huge amount of anxiety” among those trying to renew their prescriptions, and he said he saw it in his constituency.
When asked when the supply chain would improve, he said “we don’t overly recommend it, we don’t want to diminish motivation,” but added, “I hope people make progress over the course of this year.”
“What I can promise is that we are constantly looking at drug levels and where there is a shortage. We are looking at different types of medication alternatives and how to adjust the frequency and amount of prescriptions.”
Wes Street apologised for the lack of medicines
“I’m always worried about supply next month.”
A 2024 survey of 572 patients by Pancreatic Cancer UK found that 82% struggle to obtain a regular PERT prescription in multiple cases.
73% of those surveyed said their ability to manage symptoms was more difficult.
Michael Harvey, 72, of North Yorkshire, has relied on PERT since undergoing successful surgery after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.
“All the time I’ve been with them, there’s been a volatile supply of parts — over seven years — but that’s not as bad as last year,” he said.
“It just seems to be leaning from crisis to crisis. Every month we repeatedly put in prescriptions with hopes and exceed expectations.
“I’m always worried where supply will come from for the next month.”
He said he usually only receives 100 tablets (support for 3 or 4 days) at a time, rather than a full prescription of 800 tablets, so he attempted to change pharmacies and sometimes drove 20 miles to other towns.
Ruth, wife of Emmerdale actor Tony Odenshaw, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2015. She had surgery, but the cancer returned and died in April 2017 at the age of 43.
Odenshaw said that Part offered Ruth a “little normality” while he was sick, allowing for “really simple pleasures” like the ice cream that she loved.
He said the fact that some people are being denied a little extra quality of life is a “big problem.”
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What did the supplier say about the shortage?
A Viatris spokesman, a marketing approval holder and distributor for Creon in the UK said:
“This constrained supply is due to the high global demand and the largest production supply and production volume.”
Some of Creon’s strengths are available in the UK, they say, and “plans are underway to reduce constraints and increase capacity.”
“With this supply constraint, we hope to be able to supply the market monthly with approximately 90-95% of the average monthly demand for Creon Lipase units, until this supply constraint is resolved.”
They said the drug distribution continues as shipments arrive and Viatris is in “daily” contact with the manufacturer.
Viatris also regularly contacts DHSC, the Patient Association Group and medical professionals, they added.
A spokesman for Essential Pharma said: “We have worked hard with our raw materials and manufacturing partner suppliers to help patients affected by other product shortages, to increase our product supply as quickly as possible.
“We are also working closely with relevant authorities to support these efforts.
“As soon as more Pancrex becomes available, we will strive to obtain supplies to patients through regular channels as soon as possible.”
A spokesman for Zentiva, who creates Nutrizym, said:
“Zentiva has worked closely with DHSC to manage consumables to minimize disruption. However, we expect the situation to improve only if the market leader’s products return to full availability.”
