TOKYO (TR) – As syphilis infections continue to surge at alarming levels across Japan, a critical shortage of penicillin — the first-line treatment for the disease — has sparked a crisis within the medical community, reports Kyodo News (Sep. 9).
With manufacturing halted due to equipment failures at a major pharmaceutical plant, shipments are not expected to resume until the latter half of next year. The shortage has prompted medical experts to urgently request that doctors prioritize the remaining supply for pregnant women.
Syphilis, transmitted through sexual contact, began skyrocketing as the COVID-19 pandemic subsided. Cases more than doubled from roughly 6,000 in 2020 to over 13,000 in recent figures.
The drug shortage comes at a perilous time for expectant mothers. If the infection is passed through the placenta to a fetus, it can lead to stillbirths, premature deliveries, and “congenital syphilis,” which causes severe nerve and bone abnormalities in infants. Penicillin remains the only recommended medication to prevent this mother-to-child transmission.
Voluntary recall
The supply crisis stems from a series of issues involving pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The company’s syphilis treatment drug, Stevasz, was subjected to a voluntary recall in July due to contamination with foreign matter. This was followed by a critical breakdown of manufacturing equipment in November.
Because of the time required to prepare facilities and pass regulatory safety inspections, Pfizer has stated that it only expects shipments to resume “around the latter half of next year.”
The Japanese Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases has scrambled to manage the fallout. By the 9th, the society had officially requested that medical professionals prioritize pregnant patients. This follows an earlier directive released on August 24, which urged doctors to carefully assess patient conditions to avoid unnecessary prescriptions, while strictly warning pharmacies against panic-buying and hoarding the drug.
