The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded their recall of blood pressure medications on Wednesday, June 26, due to contamination with a chemical linked to cancer.
What We Know:
- The most recent recall includes 32 lots of the losartan drug from Macleod Pharmaceuticals. Macleod announced Wednesday they had initiated a voluntary recall of their losartan medication due to the potential contamination with nitrosamines, a chemical linked to cancer.
- Macleod is just the most recent in a wave of company recalls due to the same chemical presence in losartan and similar drugs; Three angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) called valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan, which are all commonly used in blood pressure medication, have been recalled by the FDA because of their contamination with nitrosamines.
- The FDA first announced a recall of several medicines containing valsartan, another blood pressure medication, in July 2018. This announcement was followed by the release of a list of drug companies affected, analyses of valsartan products, and statements from FDA employees.
- The first recall of losartan products came in November 2018 with Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. Vivimed Pharmaceutical, Torrent Pharmaceutical, and Legal Pharmaceutical have also recalled products containing losartan.
- The FDA has released a list of recalled products, an analysis of marketed ARB drug products as well as a detailed timeline of the blood-pressure medication recalls. The FDA has identified 43 ARB medications that remain safe for consumption and expect this number to increase.
The FDA encourages patients to consult with their doctors as there are many safe alternative drugs to switch to for blood pressure regulation.
