Dosing & administration for patients with EPI due to
chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy
Getting started with CREON 36K1
Specific dosing for patients with EPI due to chronic pancreatitis (CP) or pancreatectomy
During meals |
During snacks |
Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only. The active ingredient in CREON evaluated in clinical trials is lipase.
CREON 36K may not be appropriate for all patients. CREON is also available in 3K, 6K, 12K, and 24K lipase unit capsules.
- CP/pancreatectomy study: Patients received either placebo or 72,000 units of lipase per main meal (3 main meals) and 36,000 units per snack (2 snacks) while consuming ≥100 g of fat per day1,2
- Usually, half of the prescribed CREON dose for an individualized full meal should be given with each snack1
- Adverse reactions that occurred in at least 1 chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy patient (greater than or equal to 4%) receiving CREON were hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, abdominal pain, abnormal feces, flatulence, frequent bowel movements, and nasopharyngitis1
CREON should be taken with every meal and snack, with sufficient fluid. Capsules should not be crushed or chewed.1
CREON dosing tips
Hear from gastroenterologist Shahab Mehdizadeh, MD, as he shares tips for dosing CREON in patients with EPI due to CP or pancreatectomy.
After starting your patient on CREON, follow up as early as 7 days* to assess the need for a dose adjustment1
CREON dosage should be individualized and adjusted based on1:
Clinical symptoms
Degree of steatorrhea present
Dietary fat content
*In clinical studies, improvement in fat absorption after treatment with CREON was assessed as early as 5-7 days.
Per-meal 36K dosing range based on patient weight
CREON 36K capsules can be an appropriate strength for many adult patients with EPI who weigh ≥110 lb.1
Patient weight | Minimum per-meal dose | Maximum per-meal dose | ||
110 lb49.9 kg |
36,000Lipase units |
108,000Lipase units |
||
130 lb59 kg |
36,000Lipase units |
144,000Lipase units |
||
160 lb72.6 kg |
72,000Lipase units |
180,000Lipase units |
||
200 lb90.7 kg |
72,000Lipase units |
216,000Lipase units |
||
230 lb104.3 kg |
72,000Lipase units |
252,000Lipase units |
†Based on guidelines established by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).
This chart is intended to be a guide for the CREON 36K lipase unit dosing option. CREON capsules represent nearest capsule count within the recommended dosing range.
Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only.
CREON dosages should be initiated at the lowest recommended dose based on the patient’s weight and individualized based on clinical symptoms, the degree of steatorrhea present, and dietary fat content.
CREON 36K may not be appropriate for all patients. CREON is also available in 3K, 6K, 12K, and 24K lipase unit capsules.1
Dosing and administration considerations
- CREON should always be taken with food. CREON should not be crushed or chewed.
- If a CREON dose is missed, the next dose should be taken with the next meal. Doses should not be doubled.
- Total daily dose should not exceed 10,000 lipase units/kg body weight/day unless clinically indicated.‡
‡The CFF Guidelines also provide a dietary fat-based maximum lipase dose of less than 4,000 units per g of fat ingested per day.
Encourage patients to use the Treatment Tracker to record their symptoms, dietary habits, and dosing/administration routines and share it with you at their next follow-up appointment.
Get educational resources, support program details, and prescription savings information for your patients and practice.
EPI = exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.