Ongoing supply problems for Genzyme's Cerezyme

US biotech Genzyme, now a subsidiary of French drug major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN), says it will have only limited supplies of its Gaucher disease drug Cerezyme (imiglucerase, injection) available for the next four months starting October.

In a letter to US health care providers, published by the National Gaucher Foundation, Genzyme said the shortage was caused by "a temporary decrease in Cerezyme yields," coupled with "changes to our product release processes and procedures".

The company has had problems with supplies of Cerezyme, as well as its Fabry disease drug Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) for patients worldwide, as a result of earlier manufacturing issues since June 2009 (The Pharma Letters passim). The Genzyme problems have benefited Ireland-headquartered Shire, as it has resulted in switching to the company’s Replagal (agalsidase alfa) from Fabrazyme and to Vpriv (velaglucerase alfa) from Cerezyme.