STAT+: Amid confusion over Pfizer’s emergency penicillin program, newborn is diagnosed with preventable syphilis

In late March, a pregnant woman in Gila County, Arizona, was diagnosed with syphilis and required an emergency injection of Bicillin L-A, the only U.S.-approved treatment for syphilis during pregnancy. A national shortage of this medication had been ongoing since July 2025, with Pfizer being the sole manufacturer. Pfizer operates an emergency request system for confirmed congenital syphilis cases or those at risk. Public health officials submitted an emergency request on Friday, March 27, and Pfizer confirmed receipt on the following Monday. However, by April 7, the medication had not yet arrived. A leader from the National Coalition of STD Directors intervened, expressing concern that such delays render the emergency request system ineffective. A Pfizer representative responded by inquiring if a medical request form had been submitted, stating it could not be located and that processing would occur upon receipt of the form. By the time of this exchange, it was too late to prevent potential severe complications for the newborn, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death, and lifelong disabilities such as bone deformities, brain damage, blindness, and deafness.