Pfizer Inc. is experiencing a supply shortage of penicillin in the U.S. amidst increased demand, but the pharmaceutical company said Canada should be unaffected by the lack of supply, for now.
The supply shortage is due to an increase in demand as syphilis infection rates rise 鈥渁s well as competitive shortages,鈥� Pfizer said in a .
In an email to CTVNews.ca, Christina Antoniou, director affairs at Pfizer Canada, said Friday they are monitoring the situation 鈥渃losely鈥� and it 鈥渋s not currently impacting Canada."
In the letter to U.S. customers, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company said selected items like Bicillin L-A and Bicillin C-R prefilled syringes 鈥� Pfizer's brand name of injectable penicillin 鈥� will not be available in the U.S. until further notice.
Penicillin is an antibiotic used to treat various types of illnesses, including pneumonia and sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis.
Syphilis cases on the rise in Canada
Over the last five years, syphilis has made a global resurgence, and Canada has been an outlier among wealthy nations in its rate increase with a 13-fold over five years, according to Health Canada.
There were 2,677 cases of congenital syphilis in the U.S. in 2021 for a population of 332 million, according to preliminary CDC data. Canada had 96 cases for a population of 38 million, according to Health Canada.
CTVNews.ca reached out to Health Canada to learn more about the situation and the Pfizer supply shortage.
--with files from Reuters
