Dosing & administration for patients with EPI due to other conditions

Getting started with CREON 36K

When determining an appropriate CREON starting dose, consider your patient's weight.1

CREON 36K lipase unit capsule example dosing
 

160 lbto 315 lb

During meals

During snacks

 
 

110 lbto 159 lb

During meals

During snacks

 

Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only.
This chart is intended to be a guide for the CREON 36,000 lipase unit dosing option. CREON capsules represent nearest capsule count within recommended dosing range. Patients weighing <110 lb may require a lower lipase unit starting dose. Patients weighing >315 lb may require a higher lipase unit starting dose. Dosing of pancreatic enzymes is based on the guidelines established by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.1
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
Assess and adjust dose based on symptoms and dietary fat content.

  • Usually, half of the prescribed CREON dose for an individualized full meal should be given with each snack1

Are patients being underdosed?
According to Symphony Health Solutions claims data, 35% of adult patients taking CREON were prescribed a starting dose
meant for an individual weighing <100 lb.2*

CREON dosing tips

Hear from gastroenterologist Shahab Mehdizadeh, MD, as he shares tips for dosing CREON in patients with EPI using patient weight.

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 could be 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

When adjusting the dosage, prescribe a dose within the recommended range based on patient weight1†
  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

 

*SHS data (2019-2021), 2021. Average monthly patient N=sample of 94,858 PERT patients and 78,599 CREON patients with at least 1 PERT/CREON script present in a given month observed between July 2019 and June 2021; only non-CF patients aged 18+ included. Prescribed lipase units per day based on each patient’s average script size over the 2-year study period.
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 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.

How soon do you follow up with patients after CREON treatment initiation?

You answered within the first month

Get educational resources, support program details, and prescription savings information.

Explore resources and support

You answered between 1 and 6 months

Review how to set treatment expectations with patients and what to discuss at follow-up appointments.

Hear from gastroenterologist Shahab Mehdizadeh, MD, as he shares CREON dosing tips.

You answered 6 months to a year

Review how to set treatment expectations with patients and what to discuss at follow-up appointments.

Hear from gastroenterologist Shahab Mehdizadeh, MD, as he shares CREON dosing tips.

You answered never

Review how to set treatment expectations with patients and what to discuss at follow-up appointments.

Hear from gastroenterologist Shahab Mehdizadeh, MD, as he shares CREON dosing tips.

Encourage patients to use the Treatment Tracker to record their symptoms, dietary habits, and 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.