A green number set up

An undesirable substance detected at the Chinese manufacturer. Some medicines based on
valsartan, a molecule used for heart failure, high blood pressure and after a recent cardiac infarction, was cautiously recalled in early July. A toll-free number has just been set up by
the French Medicines Agency, ANSM

"The ANSM sets up a toll-free number, 0 800 97 14 03 to answer the questions of patients or their entourage. This toll-free number is available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 7 pm, "the agency said in a statement. The information documents and the list of medicines (those who are concerned and those who are not) can be consulted online on the ANSM website (http://ansm.sante.fr/).

The most important thing is to stop treatment in any case. If you are taking a medicine that is being recalled, you should talk to your doctor or pharmacist, who will replace you with another one that is not.

About half valsartan are concerned in France

About 1.3 million patients are concerned, nearly half of the patients treated in France with this molecule. "The important message is that there is no immediate risk, acute to the health of patients, however the immediate cessation of treatment represents an immediate risk," told AFP the Director General ANSM badistant, Christelle Ratignier-Carbonneil

This measure of withdrawal of products in pharmacies concerns about half of valsartan medicines. Nine laboratories are concerned (Arrow Generics, Biogaran, Cristers, EG Labo, Evolupharm, Ranbaxy Generic Pharmacy, Sandoz, Zentiva and Zydus). The quality defect detected is the presence of an impurity in the active substance manufactured by the Chinese company Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals. This impurity is N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a substance clbadified as probably carcinogenic to humans

The production of the active substance of this company has been stopped and an investigation is underway at European level. The defect has been reported by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and has resulted in recall measures at the international level.