Cancer charity fears shortage of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy could cost lives

Neil Pearce. PLANETS Cancer Charity/PA Wire

By Ben Mitchell, PA Media

A cancer charity has called on the government to intervene urgently over the shortage of a drug that can prevent life-threatening digestive problems in thousands of people with a range of medical conditions.

Neil Pearce, chairman of PLANETS Cancer Charity and a former pancreatic cancer surgeon, has written to health secretary Wes Streeting, outlining his “deep concerns” about the lack of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (Pert).