Pfizer has notified the FDA that there may be an impending shortage of penicillin, citing an increase in syphilis infections and other shortages

Tyler Patchen

News Reporter

Pfizer has notified the FDA that there may be an impending shortage of penicillin, citing an increase in syphilis infections and other shortages.

In a letter posted to the FDA’s website and dated Monday, the pharma said there is “limited supply” and an “impending stock out situation” for prefilled Bicillin L-A and Bicillin C-R syringes, which are also used to treat pneumonia, strep throat and other bacterial infections. To alleviate the possible shortage, Pfizer said it’s prioritizing the production of Bicillin L-A prefilled syringes, according to a Pfizer spokesperson.

The company is warning that all Bicillin C-R products are likely to be depleted in the third quarter of this year, and some forms of the medication may be unavailable until the second or third quarter of next year. Pfizer also said it expects to run out of pediatric Bicillin L-A sometime this month.

According to Erin Fox, an adjunct professor at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah and an expert on drug shortages, told Endpoints News via email that a shortage would be “extremely concerning” as Bicillin L-A  is the only product available for treating syphilis in pregnant patients.

Some penicillins like amoxicillin have been in short supply since last year, with several manufacturers like Hikma and Teva still citing shortages of those products, according to the ASHP’s website. The shortage has caught the attention of lawmakers, with a bipartisan group of senators sending a letter last year to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf expressing their “strong concern” about the shortage.