In order to achieve the most effective dose for your patients with Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency (PEI), Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) must be able to mimic the physiological conditions of a healthy pancreas. As a result of 100 years of ongoing research and refinements and the launch of Creon^® unique minimicrospheres in 1993, Creon^® mode of action closely mimics the physiological process of enzyme delivery. Hence, the correct amount of pancreatic enzymes are delivered to the duodenum intact, where they can be activated with food prior to absorption.

Patients with PEI are at risk of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition related complications¹, including:

• reduced quality of life²
• reduced bone mineral density³
• cardiovascular events^1,4

Hundreds of thousands of enzymes produced by a healthy pancreas travel to the duodenum where they come into contact with the food substrate and start to break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates into smaller molecules for absorption.

Published treatment guidelines for chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer recommend initiating patients on 40,000 - 50,000 lipase units per meal and 10,000 – 25,000 lipase units per snack.⁶

In a study of adult patients who required surgical procedures for pancreatic cancer or chronic pancreatitis. Patients who took less than 3 x 25,000 units of lipase per day reported the following:⁹

• 70% reported steatorrhoea
• 48% reported weight loss

In a different study where patients with chronic pancreatitis took Creon® doses of 80,000 units of lipase/meal and 40,000 units of lipase/snack showed improvement from baseline in:

• fat and nitrogen absorption^7,8
• nutritional laboratory parameters^7,8
• clinical symptoms⁸
• quality of life⁸

If required, patients may achieve further benefit by titrating their dose up.^6,10,11