Unavailable Treatments

In March we received an enquiry from a member who was experiencing difficulty obtaining Balneum Bath Oil and Balneum Plus Bath Oil. As such, we contacted the manufacturer, Almirall, who confirmed both products were out of stock and they were not yet able to provide a date for their expected return.

In late March Almirall contacted us with planned resupply dates for both products, however since then they have been experiencing intermittent supply of both Balneum Bath Oil and Balneum Plus Bath Oil in the UK which has led to stock issues.

Whilst a delivery of Balneum Bath Oil was made available to pharmacies in April, this will not be sufficient to meet ongoing demand. Due to this Balneum Bath Oil is likely to go out of stock soon and the manufacturer is not able to provide a date for when the product will return at this time. They also noted that when Balneum Bath Oil returns to stock it will no longer be available in a 2 pack of 500ml, as it was previously.

In addition Almirall informed us that Balneum Plus Bath Oil is currently out of stock, with the product expected to return to pharmacies in mid-June.

If you have any questions or would like further information the manufacturer can be contacted by phone on 0800 0087399 or email through their website.

Back in 2018 we reported that the medicated scalp shampoo, Ceanel Concentrate, was out of production as its manufacturer at the time, Alliance Pharmaceuticals, was unable to source the raw materials required for its manufacture. The product has remained unavailable since.

In August 2020 we were made aware that Ceanel Shampoo had been acquired by Derma UK. We contacted Derma in April 2021 for an update and they advised us that Ceanel Shampoo currently remains unavailable. They said ‘Derma UK are working tirelessly to put Ceanel Medicated Shampoo back into the hands of patients. We are happy to report significant progress in our endeavours and hope to have some news in the coming months.’

In the meantime, we would recommend that anyone affected by the unavailability of Ceanel Shampoo discusses suitable alternatives with their GP or Pharmacist.

If you would like more information about scalp psoriasis and its different available treatment options, please do get in touch with us.

If you have any questions or would like further information, Derma UK can be contacted directly either by phone on 0191 375 9020, or by email at info@dermauk.co.uk.

In spring 2020, we reported an update from the manufacturer, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmetique, stating that the return of Clarelux foam had been delayed once again and they did not know when it would return to stock.

We contacted Pierre Fabre for a further update in December 2020 and they told us that manufacture of Clarelux is beginning again but it may still take some time for the product to return to pharmacy shelves. The latest estimate is that Clarelux foam will be available around September 2021.

If you have any questions or would like further information, Pierre Fabre can be contacted directly either by phone on 0118 334 8003, or by email at medicalinformation@pierre-fabre.co.uk.

In February 2021 we were made aware of a possible supply issue with the coconut oil compound ointment, Cocois. We contacted the manufacturer, RPH Pharmaceuticals AB, for clarification.

RPH confirmed that Cocois ointment was temporarily unavailable in 100g quantities, and was expected to return to stock in mid-March 2021. In late April we contacted the manufacturer for a further update on the availability of the product. They confirmed that Cocois Ointment is now unavailable in both 100g and 40g quantities, with new supplies expected sometime in May.

If you have any questions or would like further information, the manufacturer can be contacted directly either by email at customer.care@recipharm.com or phone on 0845 023 0467.

In March 2021 we contacted Thornton & Ross Ltd, the manufacturer of Polytar Scalp Shampoo, for an update on the availability of the product. At the time, they told us that Polytar was low in stock and they did not have an expected re-supply date for the product.

In late April 2021 we spoke to Thornton & Ross for a further update. They advised that Polytar Scalp Shampoo is now out of stock and they do not have a date for when the product will return.

If you have any questions or would like further information, Thornton& Ross can be contacted directly either by phone on 01484 848 164, or by email at thorntonross@medinformation.co.uk.

In April we received an enquiry from a member who was experiencing difficulty obtaining the bath product, Oilatum Emollient, from their local pharmacy.

We contacted the manufacturer, Thornton & Ross, who confirmed that they are currently experiencing a stock issue with the product and that they are unable to provide a date for when stocks will return to normal at this time.

If anyone has any questions, or would like to know more you can get in touch with the manufacturer directly either by phone on 01484 848 164, or by email at thorntonross@medinformation.co.uk.

In July 2019 we learned that Thornton and Ross Ltd had announced the withdrawal of Aquamol Emollient Cream from manufacture due to poor demand for the product.

They told the Psoriasis Association 'the minimum volumes that we have to produce on a production run are far higher than demand and as such it wasn't viable to continue producing the product'.

If anyone has any questions, or would like to know more you can get in touch with the manufacturer directly either by phone on 01484 848 164, or by email at thorntonross@medinformation.co.uk.

We advise anyone affected by the discontinuation of Aquamol Emollient Cream to speak to their GP about alternative emollients that are available.

In January 2020 we contacted Galderma, the manufacturer of the urea and lactic acid based cream, Calmurid, regarding issues with its availability.

Galderma confirmed that Calmurid has been discontinued, and their medical information team offered the following statement:

'I can confirm that due to a number of reasons wholly beyond our control and after careful consideration of all possible options, a company decision at global level has been taken to discontinue all strengths of Calmurid.

One ingredient of Calmurid (DEA (diethanolamine) and Cocamide DEA) has triggered a safety concern via the regulatory authorities. As safety is our primary priority, Calmurid will not be further produced.

We apologise most sincerely for any inconvenience caused by this and thank you for your understanding.'

If you have any questions or would like further information, the manufacturer can be contacted directly either by phone on 01923 208 950, or by email at info.uk@galderma.com.

In November 2020 we contacted Dermal Laboratories for an update on the availability of Dithrocream following an enquiry we received about the current availability of the active ingredient, Dithranol.

Dermal confirmed that Dithrocream 2.0% has now been discontinued, however all other strengths (0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1.0%) remain available as normal.

If you have any questions or would like further information, Dermal Laboratories can be contacted directly either by phone on 01462 458 866, or via the contact form on their website at www.dermal.co.uk/contact/email-us.

In Jun 2019, LEO Pharma announced plans to phase out its Dovobet Gel (calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate gel) applicator from the beginning of summer 2019 in the UK, and autumn 2019 in Ireland. This decision was taken due to a lack of demand for the applicator. Please note that Dovobet Gel remains available in bottles.

LEO apologised for any inconvenience caused by this product discontinuation, and recommended that anybody affected visits their healthcare professional to discuss their individual needs and preferences for the management of their psoriasis.

If you have any questions or would like further information, the manufacturer can be contacted directly either by phone on 01844 347 333, or by email at medical-info.uk@leo-pharma.com if you are in the UK.

If you are based in Ireland, you can reach LEO Pharma's Medical Information team either by phone on +353 1 490 89, or by email at medical-info.ie@leo-pharma.com.

In March 2021 we received an enquiry from a member regarding the availability of Exorex Moisturising Cream. We contacted the manufacturer, Teva UK Limited, for an update on the availability of the product.

Teva UK confirmed that Exorex Moisturising Cream has been discontinued permanently and will not be returning to stock.

Please note that this update refers to Exorex Moisturising Cream only. Exorex Lotion continues to be available as normal.

If you have any questions or would like further information, the manufacturer can be contacted directly either by phone on 0800 590 502 (stock availability), or by email at medinfo@tevauk.com (medical information).

In 2017, the manufacturer, Riemser, announced that the ready-prepared Dithranol treatment Micanol Cream had been discontinued. Both strengths of the cream (1% and 3%) are no longer available.

If you have any questions or would like more information, Riemser can be contacted directly by email at info@riemser.com.

In 2019, Allergan Ltd announced that the tazarotene-based topical treatment Zorac Gel had been discontinued due to business changes. There were no safety issues with the product.

If you have any questions or would like more information, Allergan can be contacted directly either by phone on 01628 494 026, or by email at UK_MedInfo@Allergan.com.