Cancer Drug Shortage Expected to Continue Through Early 2025 in Europe

European health officials warn that a critical cancer medication shortage will persist into early 2025 due to manufacturing problems at Baxter International. The drug ifosfamide is used to treat testicular, cervical, and small cell cancers across the European Union.

European health authorities announced Tuesday that a critical shortage of cancer medications manufactured by Baxter International will likely continue through the first quarter of 2025.

The affected drugs contain ifosfamide, a chemotherapy agent used alone or combined with other treatments for testicular cancer, small cell cancer, and cervical cancer. Baxter serves as the main supplier of this medication throughout the European Union.

According to the European Medicines Agency, the supply disruption stems from technical problems at one of Baxter’s contract manufacturing facilities, though specific details about the issue were not revealed.

Three brand-name medications are impacted by the shortage: Holoxan, Tronoxal, and Mitoxana. These products either contain ifosfamide as their primary active ingredient or include it in combination with other cancer-fighting drugs.

Production of ifosfamide-based treatments stopped completely in September, but manufacturing has since restarted at reduced capacity levels.

This marks the second cancer drug shortage from Baxter in recent months. European regulators previously warned in February about limited supplies of cyclophosphamide, another chemotherapy drug found in Endoxan, Sendoxan, and Genoxal, also expected to last until early 2025 due to manufacturing site problems.

The medication shortages occur as ongoing Middle East conflicts threaten global medicine distribution through disrupted air travel and blocked shipping lanes.

Baxter International has not yet responded to requests for comment about the supply issues.