LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - Manufacturing problems at afactory in Italy have disrupted production of someGlaxoSmithKline medicines, leading to shortages of acommonly used opioid anaesthetic in Denmark.
The British drugmaker said on Friday it had temporarilysuspended manufacturing at its Parma site, which makes sterileproducts, to investigate environmental monitoring, adding thiswas unrelated to risks from any medicines.
The factory has now recommenced manufacturing. However, aspokeswoman said a small number of countries had experiencedshortages of certain products since April.
In Denmark, doctors said they were running out of theanaesthetic Ultiva, which is a preferred product becausepatients wake up quickly after surgery. Recovery typicallyoccurs within five to 10 minutes.
The Parma factory also makes GSK's new injectable drugNucala for severe asthma and Benlysta for lupus, but thespokeswoman said these medicines were not in short supplybecause there were plentiful stocks. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; Editing by Alexander Smith)