This is a position that most companies would like to find themselves in: a boom in demand for their products.
But growing requests for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among British postmenopausal women have seen some manufacturers fail to cope, leading to months of supply shortages and stories of women struggling to sleep or work. effective once they can’t get their prescriptions.
Several HRT drug providers have described it as the “Davina effect”: the documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause, hosted by the TV presenter, which first aired on Channel 4 in May 2021, sparking an immediate jump. in demand.
And yet, almost a year later, this shows no signs of weight loss. Demand for HRT products increased by 30% in the month following the broadcast, according to Theramex, a global pharmaceutical company focused on women’s health.
Orders continued to grow throughout the year, rising 130% in the second half of 2021, according to Tina Backhaus, women’s health manager at Theramex in the UK.
Millions of women go through menopause each year, and many experience a number of symptoms that can be severe, including anxiety, low mood, hot flashes, and difficulty sleeping.
“As an industry for which we had no warning [the documentary]”Beckhouse said. Subsequently, Theramex increased the production of its HRT products, which are produced in Germany, but this is constantly being reviewed.
“Every month we review it and release it again. I thought that in the worst case we would have nine to 12 months of safe stock in the warehouse, but that is not the case. But we are importing enough. “
However, the company, owned by private equity companies PAI Partners and Carlyle, said the increase in production required significant investment, so it did not immediately lead to higher profits.
“Increasing production capacity is expensive. You have to make a leap of faith, “added Backhouse. “It’s not like ordering piles of groceries for next week, [the manufacturers] they must be supplied with raw materials. “
HRT shortages in previous years have been blamed for problems with production and the supply chain, but the industry says the lack of availability in recent months stems from the growing number of women who want the products.
The number of HRT prescriptions in England has doubled in the last five years to more than 500,000 a month. As a result, some products were not available for periods of time.
Earlier in April, the British Menopause Society warned members and doctors of a noticeable persistent shortage of estrogen, a gel that contains the hormone estrogen and is applied to the skin.
Its manufacturer, Besins Healthcare, said it was experiencing a “continuing emergency search” for the gel in the UK.
The private company, based in Brussels, said in a statement that it regretted “the continuing situation regarding the insufficient supply of Oestrogel in the United Kingdom”.
Although it supplies almost double the amount of gel – which is produced in France and Belgium – to the UK between January and April, compared to the same period in 2021, the company acknowledges that supplies were sometimes “insufficient”.
“Besins are fully aware of the impact this situation has on patients and understand that they are worried about following their prescription,” the company said, advising all affected patients to talk to their doctor or pharmacist.
Besins said it plans to further increase production so it can supply more products to the UK in the long run.
HRT gels or patches that are applied to the skin are more commonly prescribed, according to Dr Paula Briggs, President-elect of the British Menopause Society and consultant on sexual and reproductive health, as they do not increase the user’s risk of developing of blood clots. Although the risk is small, this can be a side effect of HRT tablets.
HRT manufacturers rarely join forces due to commercial sensitivity, even in times of scarcity.
Some hope that the government’s appointment of a “king of HRT” to address the lack of availability will lead to more joint thinking and collaboration within the industry.
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“Right now, menopausal management seems to be celebrity-driven, and the clinical focus is not what it should be,” Briggs said. “Whoever is appointed must participate in national organizations and cooperate with the royal colleges.
Briggs also calls for standardization of the availability of HRT products in the regions and nations of the United Kingdom, whether prescribed in treatment rooms or hospitals, to ensure that patients have access to substitutes if their usual prescription is not available. available.
HRT producers do not expect demand to decline soon. Studies show that between 13% and 14% of women in the UK are prescribed HRT, despite the fact that approximately 80% experience some symptoms of menopause.
“I think a lot of influential women in politics and the media in the UK have reached menopause at the same time and are using their platform to discuss this,” Beckhouse said.
Television producers have confirmed that McCall’s latest documentary on menopause will be released in early May. HRT providers are prepared that demand will increase again.
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