Drugmakers have pushed back their resupply estimates for carboplatin, one of four chemotherapy drugs in a monthslong shortage, with some formulations now not expected to return until 2027.
Cisplatin, carboplatin, oxaliplatin and ifosfamide, which form the backbone of treatment for breast, lung, ovarian, testicular, bladder, and head and neck cancers, remain in active shortage, according to updates posted by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
The ASHP and specialty groups are steering clinicians toward conservation strategies and patient-specific alternatives.
Becker’s reported in June that hospitals and cancer clinics working with group purchasing organization Premier received only 38% of their ifosfamide orders and about two-thirds of their cisplatin orders in recent weeks, prompting some healthcare organizations to space out doses and prioritize patients most likely to benefit from treatment.
Health systems are advised to gauge their total supply of each drug before starting patients on combination regimens and to build patient-specific alternatives around renal and liver function and tumor type. They caution that no single agent can replace the drugs in shortage.
Here is what manufacturers told ASHP about when supply is expected to normalize for each drug.
Cisplatin: As of July 21, six presentations are in shortage and nine are available.
- Fosun Pharma has both its 50- and 100-milliliter vials on allocation due to increased demand.
- Sagent has 50-milliliter vials on allocation, and its 100-milliliter vials are on back order with an estimated August release date.
- Teva has 100-milliliter vials on allocation.
- WG Critical Care’s 200-milliliter vials are on back order, and the company said it cannot estimate a release date.
Carboplatin: As of July 29, there is insufficient supply for usual ordering of 18 presentations.
- Fresenius Kabi has 60-milliliter vials on back order. In June, the drugmaker expected a mid-July release; it now estimates a release date of late November or early December.
- Pfizer has 5-, 15-, 45- and 60-milliliter vials on back order. The company estimates a March release date for the 5-milliliter presentations, December for the 15-milliliter vials, August for the 45-milliliter vials and October for the 60-milliliter vials. The latter two presentations were previously expected to be released between June and September.
- Accord Healthcare’s 45- and 60-milliliter vials remain on back order with no estimated release date, after the company discontinued its 5- and 15-milliliter vials.
- BPI has 15-, 45- and 60-milliliter vials available in limited supply. The 60-milliliter vials are short-dated.
- Eugia’s 45- and 60-milliliter vials are on back order, and the company cannot estimate a release date.
- Apotex discontinued its carboplatin line in early 2026.
Oxaliplatin: As of July 22, 10 presentations are in short supply and eight are available.
- Sagent has short-dated 10-milliliter vials available, with an expiration date of October. The 20-milliliter vials are on back order without an estimated release date.
- Accord has 10- and 20-milliliter vials on back order with no estimated release date.
- Ingenus Pharmaceuticals discontinued its 10- and 20-milliliter vials in 2026.
- Fosun Pharma’s 10- and 20-milliliter vials are on allocation due to increased demand.
- Fresenius Kabi has short-dated 10-milliliter vials with less than four months before expiration.
- Pfizer has 20-milliliter vials on allocation.
Ifosfamide: As of July 29, the ASHP recorded seven presentations in shortage.
- Hikma Pharmaceuticals has 20- and 60-milliliter vials on back order and expects a release date of late September or early October.
- Fresenius Kabi has 1-gram vials on back order and estimates a mid- to late-August release date.
- Baxter has 1- and 3-gram vials on back order with release dates in late August and early September. The company’s IFEX powder 1-gram vials are on back order without a release date, and the IFEX 3-gram vials are predicted to be available in October.
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