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3rd blood pressure drug recalled in recent weeks over impurity

By Clyde Hughes

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- For the third time in recent weeks, a blood pressure medication has been recalled because it may have been contaminated with an agent linked to cancer.

Sandoz, a generic pharmaceutical company that's a division of the Novartis Group, said it's voluntarily recalled losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide tablets because the pills could contain the impurity N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA).

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Sandoz said the tablets are manufactured by Lek Pharmaceuticals in Slovenia and the impurity found is a probable carcinogen. However, it said, no issues have been reported concerning the affected tablets.

"To date, Sandoz Inc. has not received any reports of adverse events related to this lot," the company said.

"Distributors and retailers that have a product which is being recalled should immediately stop distribution of the identified lot."

NDEA concerns have led to previous recalls of blood pressure medications -- irbesartan last week and valsartan in September.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that while there are no reports of NDMA causing cancer in humans, it's reasonable to expect that exposure could cause cancer in humans based on past research on mice.

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