Shortages of the medication which allows people with pancreatic cancer to digest food must be urgently addressed, the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK has said.
Pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert) provides the enzymes people affected by pancreatic cancer need to absorb nutrients.
Not being able to take the correct dose of Pert could leave them less able to tolerate treatment, with a poorer quality of life, and even at risk of starvation.
I’m always worried where the next month’s supply is coming from
The charity said supplies of the tablets to the UK have been disrupted for more than a year and shortages could last until at least 2026.
It has invited MPs to an event at the Houses of Parliament on February 26 to discuss the shortages which it estimates could be affecting at least 61,152 people nationwide as people with cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis and neuroendocrine cancers also rely on Pert.
Michael Harvey, 72, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, has been dependent on Pert since he had successful surgery after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017.
Now he must take eight tablets before every meal and four with every snack.
“There has been an erratic supply of Pert for the whole time I’ve been on them – over seven years – but it’s never been as bad as it’s been in the last year,” he said.
“It just seems to lurch from crisis to crisis. Every month we put in a repeat prescription with hope more than expectation.
“I’m always worried where the next month’s supply is coming from.”
Mr Harvey’s struggles to obtain Pert have seen him repeatedly change pharmacy, drive 20 miles to other towns and appeal for help from his MP, former prime minister Rishi Sunak.
PERT is a vital medicine for people with pancreatic cancer, but right now there are shortages across the UK.
— Pancreatic Cancer UK (@PancreaticCanUK) January 30, 2025
We need a proactive response from the Government to end these shortages.
Invite your MP to our emergency PERT event in Westminster on 26th Feb: https://t.co/wpDglj1q1o pic.twitter.com/4R0yVBFseS
He has typically only received 100 tablets at a time (3-4 days supply) rather than his full prescription of 800 tablets.
Mr Harvey added: “I’ve come very close to having to think about rationing. But by jumping up and down and keeping the pressure on, I’ve always managed to keep just enough of a reserve supply.
“I absolutely worry about running out. I had my pancreas removed entirely and am reliant on these tablets.
“It’s been a problem that’s been largely ignored, that has been dealt with by a written response from the manufacturer.
“The problem of erratic supply still hasn’t been addressed and we can’t solve a supply problem with soundbites.”
Emmerdale actor Tony Audenshaw’s wife Ruth was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in late 2015.
She had surgery but the cancer returned and she died in April 2017 at the age of 43.
The actor told the PA news agency that having access to Pert allowed Ruth to have a “bit of normality”.
“It was really simple pleasures, going for a coffee, for a bite to eat with her mates, how important Pert is for that.”
He said Ruth loved ice-cream and was still able to enjoy it despite her illness because of Pert.
“So you take a Pert, you have an ice-cream, half the ice cream, you’d have another Pert, you’d finish the ice cream, you’d have another Pert.
“She had a little pill box she took everywhere.”
Audenshaw, who has played Bob Hope in the long-running ITV soap opera for 25 years, added: “She loved the fact that she could still do that.
“There’s a shortage of Pert at the moment and they are trying to do something about it but some people are being denied that Pert and it’s a massive problem because it’s the simplest things they can’t do when they are life limited.”
Pancreatic Cancer UK said the consequences of going without Pert, which is also known by the brand names Creon, Nutrizym and Pancrex in the UK, or not taking the correct dose can be very serious.
People may become too unwell to have surgery (the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer), less able to tolerate treatments such as chemotherapy or may struggle to manage debilitating symptoms, diminishing their quality of life.
A survey of 572 people by Pancreatic Cancer UK in 2024 found eight out of 10 people (82%) had struggled to obtain their usual Pert prescription on more than one occasion, almost one in five (19%) had frequently gone without taking Pert and nearly three-quarters (71%) were taking a lower dose than they needed or had altered their diet.
Nearly three quarters (73%) of those surveyed said their ability to manage their symptoms had become more difficult.
Diana Jupp, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said there has not been enough progress towards finding solutions to the shortages and the situation cannot be allowed to continue.
“Thousands of people affected by pancreatic cancer rely on taking Pert tablets every time they eat simply to digest their food and absorb nutrients – something most of us take for granted.
“That they are having to take desperate measures which can put their health, wellbeing and their eligibility for treatment at risk is totally unacceptable.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be for patients, and the pharmacists and clinicians caring for them.
“We’ve issued guidance to healthcare professionals and encourage anyone concerned to consult their clinician.
“There are supply issues with Creon that are impacting countries throughout Europe caused by a limited availability of raw ingredients and manufacturing capacity constraints.
“We are working closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers and other partners in the supply chain to resolve the impact of these supply issues as quickly as possible.”
Nick Kaye, chair of the National Pharmacy Association said: “Medicine shortages not only cause huge inconvenience but can risk serious patient safety issues, particular in the cases of Pert and Creon.
“Pharmacists are highly trained health care practitioners, who should be permitted to use their professional judgment to supply an appropriate alternative medicine in the event of the prescribed version being unavailable.
“This prevents a patient having to return to their GP or go home without having got hold of vital medication.
“It is hugely frustrating that pharmacists are not currently permitted to do this and it is disappointing that recent recommendations from the Health Select Committee to allow this were rejected by the government.
“Without government action to address shortages, many patients will continue to go without their medicines, putting their health and wellbeing at risk.”
PA has approached Viatris which manufactures Creon, Zentiva which makes Nutrizym, and Essential Pharmaceuticals Ltd which manufactures Pancrex, for comment.
Advice for anyone struggling to get their usual Pert is available on the Pancreatic Cancer UK website.
– Tony Audenshaw is one of 700 runners taking part in the TCS London Marathon on April 27 for Pancreatic Cancer UK which is aiming to raise £2 million to develop a breath test which could catch the disease earlier and increase the chances of life-saving treatment.
To sponsor Tony visit: https://2025tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/tony-audenshaw.
