STD Specialists Warn of Shortage of Vital Syphilis Drug, Bicillin L-A
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Dec. 4, 2023 -- As syphilis cases surge across America, a group representing the nation's STD specialists says members are reporting shortages of a drug essential to fighting the disease.
In a survey from the National Coalition of STD Directors conducted in early November, 46% of sexual health clinics said they'd tried to order Bicillin L-A -- only to find that it was unavailable.
Bicillin L-A, a form of penicillin, is crucial to the treatment of syphilis. That's especially true for congenital syphilis, which occurs when a newborn contracts the illness from an infected mother.
Early in November, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sounded the alarm on the disease, noting that rates of congenital syphilis soared 10-fold between 2012 and 2022.
In 2022, more than 3,700 babies across the United States were born with syphilis, the CDC said.
According to the March of Dimes, "If not treated right away, congenital syphilis can cause problems for your baby later in life," including deformities of the bones and teeth, paralysis or seizures, problems with vision and hearing and developmental delays.
Luckily, Bicillin L-A can quickly vanquish the syphilis bacterium. It's the only treatment approved for pregnant women with syphilis, and it's also the first-line therapy for syphilis patients generally.
Bicillin L-A is made by Pfizer Inc., which in June alerted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of a shortage that the company predicts may last until mid-2024.
The new survey confirms that Bicillin L-A is in short supply nationwide.
The group sent its survey to 136 state and local health departments and 151 sexual health clinics in early November.
Among the findings:
-
Respondents in 13 different states and one Indian Health Services agency said they'd received reports of at least one pregnant woman who'd been unable to receive Bicillin L-A
-
Nearly half (46%) of clinics said they'd had difficulties getting Bicillin L-A, a increase from the 40% of clinics who hadn't been able to access the drug when a prior survey was conducted in August
-
More than two-thirds (68%) of health department specialists believe shortages will cause syphilis cases to rise even higher in their jurisdictions
There is a second-line treatment, doxycycline, which patients can use if Bicillin L-A is not available. But treatment can take a month and severe side effects can occur.
In the new survey, 36% of clinics said they'd had a patient who could not complete their full course of doxycycline.
The CDC has already advised that, to preserve supply, doctors use Bicillin L-A only for cases of congenital syphilis and give doxycycline to all other patients.
Sources
- National Coalition of STD Directors, news release, Nov. 30, 2023
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
FDA Approves First Self-Test Collection Kit for HPV
WEDNESDAY, May 15, 2024 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a kit that will allow women to collect their own vaginal sample for HPV screening, a move that could...
Syphilis Is Increasingly Displaying Atypical, Severe Symptoms
MONDAY, April 29, 2024 -- Syphilis cases are on the rise in the United States, and doctors in Chicago say they are increasingly seeing cases that don't display typical symptoms...
Screen Pregnant Women for Syphilis, Ob-Gyn Group Advises
FRIDAY, April 19, 2024 -- All expecting mothers should get a blood test for syphilis three times during pregnancy, new guidance issued by the American College of Obstetricians and...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.