The Adalat LA 30mg prolonged-release tablets were reintroduced to the UK supply chain the week of March 29, a spokesperson for Bayer UK told C+D yesterday (April 22).

In 2019, the manufacturer announced that all three strengths of Adalat LA prolonged-release tablets were expected to be out of stock until this year. Reintroducing the product back into the market last month, the Bayer UK spokesperson said the manufacturer “doesn’t see any future stock issues”.

According to the spokesperson, a “good supply” is now in Alliance Healthcare depots after production issues, which had lead to it being out of stock, had been rectified.

An NHS shortage of supply memo from 2019 showed that all strengths of immediate- and modified-release Adalat had been discontinued from August 2018 to March 2019. All strengths of prolonged-release tablets were out of stock, however alternative nifedipine presentations were still available from other suppliers.

The Bayer UK spokesperson told C+D it had found the prolonged-release tablets to be the most effective treatment of the various nifedipine products.

Nifedipine is a prescription-only medicine, used in the treatment of high blood pressure. It is also used in angina prophylaxis, and occasionally for the treatment of Raynaud's syndrome.

Read the C+D clinical and custom content editor’s advice on the nifedipine shortages here.