Ferring Pharmaceuticals has suspended shipments of a key fertility drug, Menopur

A hand holding a syringe. Francesco Carta fotografo/Getty Images

• Ferring Pharmaceuticals has suspended all shipments of its key fertility drug, Menopur.
• Insider obtained a memo Ferring Pharmaceuticals sent to healthcare providers. 
• The company said in the memo that it is "working to address any disruptions to supply."

Ferring Pharmaceuticals has suspended shipments of Menopur, a drug used to treat infertility in women. 

Insider received a copy of a memo Ferring Pharmaceuticals' chief science officer Elizabeth Garner sent to healthcare providers on Wednesday, announcing the stoppage of Menopur shipments.

Garner said "all shipments" of the drug have been suspended "due to changes made in the manufacturing process of Menopur drug substance by a third-party supplier." 

"We are currently reviewing this situation and will provide you with updates as appropriate," Garner wrote. She added that the company is working to address supply disruptions.

A staff member at Ferring Pharmaceutical's Singapore division confirmed to Insider on Thursday that shipments of Menopur are suspended worldwide. The Ferring Pharmaceuticals staff member said they could not comment on when shipments would resume.

Menopur is an injectable drug that is widely used to treat infertility in women. It triggers the release of eggs from ovaries in women who are not ovulating, per Menopur's patient information leaflet. Women undergoing in-vitro fertilization need doses of Menopur every day, for five days.

Garner wrote in her Wednesday memo that Ferring Pharmaceuticals is "not aware of any evidence" that the change in Menopur's manufacturing process will put patients at risk.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Switzerland. The company serves millions of people across 110 countries, per its website.

Garner did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.