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Besins Healthcare has acquired a pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Drogenbos, Belgium to boost the production of hormonal products including Oestrogel. Currently, the site which is being used as one of two manufacturing sites for their gel products [the other site being in France], is a strategic purchase to allow Besins Healthcare to increase production of its own products, offering greater efficiencies and greater integration into the company's supply line. "In the past year, demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) treatment in the United Kingdom and Ireland has dramatically increased, resulting in regrettable disruption to supply of Oestrogel. We are looking at a range of options for increasing supplies of this product in the short, medium and longer term," said Alexandre Besins, joint CEO for Besins Healthcare. "Besins strongly believes that by re-integrating our manufacturing capabilities we will have better control over our ability to meet demand and live up to the trust that HCPs and patients have put in us."

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and Madelaine McTernan, head of the HRT supply taskforce, continue to take urgent action to resolve the shortage of HRT medicines by meeting the drug manufacturers and representatives from community pharmacies on Thursday (May 5). In the meeting, manufacturers outlined the steps they're taking to boost supply, and pharmacists shared their experiences on the frontline, as well as sharing their thoughts on wider solutions including improved communications. Aspen Pharmacare, Besins-Healthcare, Gedeon Richter, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Orion, Pfizer, Theramex, Viatris, and representatives from community pharmacies were part of the meeting. As the government confirmed its intention to work with industry to do what is necessary to fix the HRT supply issue, Javis said he wanted to understand the issues facing suppliers and what can be done to address them. "We will leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT. Along with appointing Madelaine McTernan as head of the HRT supply taskforce to implement lessons learned from the pandemic, and ensuring prescriptions are issued in shorter cycles for now, we are working collectively with the sector to urgently resolve this issue," he commented. The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp) said the meeting discussed 'why we got into this position' and the way forward.