Clinical signs and symptoms
Start your adult patients on CREON 36K
Getting started with CREON 36K capsules
When determining an appropriate CREON starting dose, consider your patient’s weight or dietary fat intake.1 Examples below illustrate 36K dosing based on patient’s body weight.
160 lbto 315 lb |
 During meals |
 During snacks |
||
110 lbto 159 lb |
During meals |
During snacks |
CREON 36K may not be appropriate for all patients. CREON is also available in 3K, 6K, 12K, and 24K lipase unit capsules.1
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.1
CREON dosages should be initiated at the lowest recommended dose based on the patient’s weight and individualized based on clinical signs and symptoms, the degree of steatorrhea present, and dietary fat content.
Assess and adjust dosage based on symptoms and dietary fat content or weight.
The recommended initial starting dosage is 500 lipase units/kg/meal for adult and pediatric patients ≥4 years of age. If signs and symptoms of malabsorption persist, titrate the dosage to either 2,500 lipase units/kg/meal, 10,000 lipase units/kg/day, or 4,000 lipase units/gram of fat ingested/day.
Are patients being underdosed?
30% of adult patients taking CREON were prescribed a starting dose meant for a patient weighing <100 lb2*
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 5-7 days† to assess the need for a dose adjustment1
Dose adjustments should be individualized based on1:
Degree of steatorrhea present
Dietary fat content
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  |
*SHS PLD data (2021-2023). Avg Monthly Patient N=sample of 87,079 CREON patients with at least 1 CREON prescription present in a given month observed between October 2021 and September 2023; 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, assuming 3 meals and 2 snacks per day.
†In clinical studies, improvement in fat absorption after treatment with CREON were assessed as early as 5-7 days.
CREON 36K may not be appropriate for all patients. CREON is also available in 3K, 6K, 12K, and 24K lipase unit capsules.1
This chart is intended to be a guide. CREON capsules represent nearest capsule count within recommended dosing range.
Capsules shown are not actual size and do not represent the exact color shade. For illustrative purposes only.
CREON 36,000 may not be appropriate for all patients. CREON is available in 3,000, 6,000, 12,000, and 24,000 lipase unit capsules.
Dosing and administration considerations
- Fibrosing colonopathy has been reported following treatment with pancreatic enzyme products. Do not exceed the recommended dosage of 2,500 lipase units/kg/meal (or 10,000 lipase units/kg/day) or 4,000 lipase units/g fat ingested/day in adult and pediatric patients greater than 12 months of age without further investigation.
- Start at the lowest recommended dosage and individualize the dosage based on clinical symptoms, the degree of steatorrhea present, and the fat content of the diet.
- CREON should not be crushed, chewed, or retained in the mouth. CREON should always be taken with food.
- If a dose is missed, the next dose should be taken with the next meal or snack. With each snack, administer approximately half the prescribed CREON dose for a meal.
- CREON should be kept in a dry place and in the original container.
Encourage your patients to fill out the Treatment Tracker and share it with you during their next appointment. This can help you assess how their treatment plan is going.
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