Syphilis epidemic breaks out in US as STI clinics struggle to get antibiotics
A syphilis epidemic has broken out in the US and clinics say its a struggle to get antibiotics.
The antibiotic treatment for the sexually transmitted disease is running low across the United States while the number of infections has risen to high levels. This has prompted dozens of public health groups to ask the White House to intervene.
The National Coalition of STD Directors and 38 other groups sent a letter to the White House Drug Shortage Task Force explaining the plight of clinics wanting to order Bicillin to tackle syphilis. The drug is an injectable form of penicillin, but pharmacies are receiving only partly or they are delayed,
It demands the White House task force to take up the drug shortfall as a priority and ensure their is adequate supply.
In the letter groups state: “Bicillin L-A remains the preferred treatment for primary and secondary syphilis in adults, infants, and children, and the only approved treatment for syphilis in pregnant women.
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Clinics and pharmacies are demanding what is the exact cause of the drug shortage (Getty Images/iStockphoto)“As the only manufacturer of penicillin G benzathine in the United States, Pfizer’s inability to provide adequate quantities of Bicillin L-A has left the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and many local and state health departments scrambling to ration existing supply of the drug and develop contingency plans.”
It adds that affected communities need to know the exact causes of the current shortage and how how Pfizer plans to fix this situation quickly and stop it happening again. It calls for shortage prevention methods to be prioritised It adds we require support from the Drug Shortage Task Force "to ensure accountability.”
The National Coalition of STD Directors has not received a reply from the White House or the task force, acording to CNN.
In a statement a White House spokesperson said the administration “remains focused on strengthening the resilience of critical supply chains, including for medical products like pharmaceuticals.
A 3d illustration of a syphilis pathogen (Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)"President Biden has issued five executive orders to catalyze whole-of-government action toward these objectives. This work to strengthen pharmaceutical supply chains is a continuation of the work that began on Day 1 of President Biden’s Administration to ensure Americans can access the medicine they need when they need it.”
Pfizer said it is in touch CDC and FDA about its supply of Bicillin and has boosted its output by about 30% more of the drug this year. Its goal, meanwhile, is to double its output by the end of 2024.
The letter, sent to the White House this week, describes how a 2017 shortage of Bicillin coincided with a "significant increase in congenital syphilis cases that has dramatically worsened ever since.”
America is facing a rise in the number of cases and from 2017 to 2021, reported cases of syphilis increased about 74%, and congenital syphilis - where a mum passes the infection to her baby in pregnancy. These cases increased more than 203%. In 2021, congenital cases were reported in nearly every state and rose to a 27-year high.
David C. Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors said: “It’s devastating to see the dramatic rise in completely preventable congenital syphilis cases while clinics can’t get their hands on the basic antibiotic they need to save lives and prevent profound consequences for newborn babies,”
A nurse tests a woman for syphilis, AIDS and hepatitis (Getty Images)“The government must launch a response to the syphilis epidemic that guarantees clinics can get the Bicillin L-A they need right now and prevents the repeated shortages like this one from ever happening again.”
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Pfizer said it had limited supplies in June and estimated this may not be resolved until 2024.
The company told clinicians that month, there was “supply interruption” impacting Bicillin whch it blamed on demand, because of increase in syphilis infections and competitive shortages.
To meet increased demand, Pfizer said it had "prioritised manufacturing capacity.”
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