Lenzetto expected back in Icelandic pharmacies by month-end

The estrogen medicine Lenzetto is expected to return to pharmacies in Iceland around the end of November after a temporary shortage, mbl.is reports. The medicine is used to treat symptoms of estrogen deficiency after menopause.

Sigrún Sif Kristjánsdóttir, a client manager for Gedeon Richter at Vistor, which holds the marketing authorisation for Lenzetto, said demand had outstripped production and the medicine was in short supply worldwide. Production is set to increase to help prevent a repeat of the shortage, she said.

There has been a prolonged shortage of Lenzetto in the Nordic countries, although Iceland has been somewhat less affected, Kristjánsdóttir said.

The shortage recently prompted a news conference in Stockholm, where Swedish officials presented the findings of a project to improve access to estrogen medicines. Sales in Sweden of estrogen treatments absorbed through the skin, including patches, gels and sprays, rose by 75 per cent in September compared with the same month last year. Lenzetto is a spray.

Sweden’s Medical Products Agency has prioritised parallel imports of estrogen sprays and patches and granted exemptions for estrogen gels. Authorities are also exploring whether a domestic manufacturer could produce estrogen medicines for the Swedish market. Lenzetto is not expected back in Swedish pharmacies until January.