You may have heard this week about the voluntary nationwide recall of Losartan Potassium Tablets USP and Losartan Potassium/hydrochlorothiazide tablets manufactured by Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited. In fact, you may have heard a lot because this is the fifth time in 2019 that Torrent Pharmaceuticals has expanded its voluntary recall of Losartan. The first recall was announced in January.
We want to pass along the newest info to you so that you stay aware and educated.
Losartan is used to treat hypertension, hypertensive patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and for the treatment of nephropathy in Type 2 diabetic patients. Losartan Potassium and Hydrochlorothiazide tablets, USP is used to treat hypertension and hypertensive patients with Left Ventricular Hypertrophy.
The reason it’s being recalled is because traces of unexpected “impurities,” N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid (NMBA), organic chemicals, apparently formed as byproducts during drug production, were found in batches manufactured with active pharmaceutical ingredients. It is the same contaminant that prompted Novartis to halt distribution of generic versions of the popular heartburn drug Zantac earlier in the week. The problem is that NMBA has been linked to increased risk of certain kinds of cancer.
Officials are urging patients to contact their healthcare physicians or pharmacists to seek alternative treatment before stopping and returning their medication. Consumers should also contact a doctor if they have experienced any health issues that may be related to these drugs.
The list of drugs in total is, indeed, expansive. Dozens upon dozens of lots have been named and voluntarily recalled. You may want to go read the FDA’s full statement for more information and to look at detailed descriptions of specific drugs and what they, and their labels, look like.
Unfortunately, this could be a life or death situation, so please, make sure to check your labels and spread the word to your friends and family.
Sources:
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/lookup.cfm?setid=ee1eaaf6-050b-48af-942b-5e3451edc164
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410
https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy