Teva Pharmaceuticals said it has launched a voluntary recall into two drugs used to treat high blood pressure over concerns that they’re contaminated with cancer-producing carcinogens.
Teva is recalling all lots of Amlodipine-Valsartan combination tables and Amlodipine-Valsartan-Hydrochlorothiazide tablets due to impurities detected. They were manufactured by Mylan India.
A list of lots under voluntary recall can be accessed via the FDA’s website. The drugs’ labels can also be viewed on the website.
Teva said it hasn’t received any reports of adverse reactions associated with the use of the drugs.
Patients who have the drug are advised to keep taking it, and they should contact their pharmacist or physician for advice on alternative treatment, according to the statement.
“The risk of harm to a patient’s health may be higher if the treatment is stopped immediately without any comparable alternative treatment,” the statement said.
Teva’s distributors and customers have been notified about the recall via certified mail, and it is arranging for a return or reimbursement of affected products.
Tainted Drugs
Valsartan-containing medicine, manufactured by a Chinese firm, was subject to a significant recall over the summer.China’s Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals, a bulk manufacturer of the heart and blood pressure medicine valsartan, recalled the product in the United States in July after the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was found.
Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical, the make, sold some $50 million worth of valsartan in 2017 alone, according to the report.
“The public wants their medicine to be safe. This carcinogen hidden in valsartan raises the question whether other products that are made in China have been made contrary to the global standard we came to accept,” Gibson told Epoch Times. “We need to view medicine as a strategic asset, just like how we view oil and energy supply. A strategic asset is something that will make our country fall apart if we don’t have it.”