Blood Pressure Medication Recall Expands Again To Include Losartan

(CNN) — A widespread recall of common blood pressure and heart failure medications has been expanded to include more drugs containing losartan. The recall is due to an “impurity” that is classified as a potential human carcinogen. The impurity, N-Nitroso-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid or NMBA, is also classified as a known animal carcinogen, the US Food And Drug Administration noted in a news release about the recall Friday. Camber Pharmaceuticals Inc. voluntarily recalled 87 lots of losartan tablets in the United States on Thursday. The recalled tablets, made by Hetero Labs Ltd. In India and distributed by Camber Pharmaceuticals, were found to contain trace amounts of the impurity. The recall noted that Camber has not received any reports of adverse events related to the recall. The recall is the latest in an ongoing investigation into a class of drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers or ARBs, which contain either valsartan, losartan or irbesartan and are used in patients with high blood pressure and other conditions. Starting in July, separate lots of ARB blood pressure and heart failure medications from various companies were recalled around the world, including in the United States, due to containing similar impurities that are potential or suspected human carcinogens: N-nitrosodimethylamine or NDMA and N-nitrosodiethylamine or NDEA. Recent FDA analyses of NDMA and NDEA in the recalled drugs have found that “overall, the risk to individual pati...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Consumer Health News FDA losartan Valsartan Source Type: news