Madrid — Women in Spain who rely on the menopause spray Lenzetto will soon find it back on pharmacy shelves. Manufacturer Gedeon Richter has confirmed to European Pulse that the product will be available from the second half of November, ending months of shortages that have forced patients and doctors to seek alternatives.
“We anticipate the product will be available in pharmacies from the second half of November,” the Hungarian pharmaceutical company said in a statement. It added that it will do “everything possible” to ensure stable production for the rest of the year and into 2027, while acknowledging that global supply restrictions could still prevent it from fully meeting demand.
Why the shortage happened
The root cause, according to Gedeon Richter, is a sharp and unexpected rise in demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) across Europe. The company told European Pulse that growth has “far exceeded” projections, and that both manufacturing capacity and the supply of the applicator used to administer the spray have struggled to keep pace.
“The situation is temporary and is not related to any quality or safety issue with the medicine,” the company stressed. The problem is purely one of capacity: too many women seeking treatment, not enough product.
The shortage has not been confined to Spain. Gedeon Richter confirmed that Lenzetto is now in short supply globally, though the severity varies by market depending on local demand, forecasting accuracy, and logistics. In Spain, the scarcity has created a domino effect, pushing patients toward other estradiol products such as Evopad, Estradot, and Bijuva, which have also experienced supply problems.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has flagged the Lenzetto shortage and is considering coordinated measures at the EU level. Spain’s medicines regulator, Aemps, reported in early October that the supply issue began with Lenzetto in April and subsequently spread to other transdermal therapies. The Spanish Ministry of Health has been in contact with manufacturers of alternative hormone treatments to explore including them in the national health system’s pharmaceutical coverage.
Manufacturer’s response and criticism
Aemps has been critical of Gedeon Richter’s communication, saying that some supply forecasts were “not always accurate” and that the company did not give sufficient advance warning of interruptions. Asked about these remarks, Gedeon Richter did not directly address the criticism but said it maintains “close contact” with Aemps and works “in a collaborative way” to resolve the situation.
The company says it has improved its forecasting systems in response to what it calls “unprecedented” demand and continues to share data with regulators as new information emerges. To boost supply, it is maximizing current production, expanding its supplier base, and investing in new manufacturing lines. A new plant and a dedicated investment project in Romania are part of these efforts.
However, Gedeon Richter cautions that pharmaceutical production cannot be scaled up overnight due to strict quality controls. The company does not guarantee a full recovery in the short term, aiming instead to consistently meet patient demand from the second half of 2027.
For now, Spanish women can expect some relief next month, but the broader lesson is clear: Europe’s menopause care remains vulnerable to supply shocks, and regulators are watching closely.
