Health Canada recalls blood pressure medication, valsartan, after discovery of a carcinogenic ingredient

Millions of Canadians who rely on a common heart medication are encouraged to check with their pharmacist after Health Canada has announced that the drug may be contaminated with a carcinogen.

Health Canada said Tuesday that many varieties of valsartan, a generic drug sold by several companies in Canada, are being recalled for fear of being contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a chemical that has been classified as a probable carcinogen in the human. the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In a public notice, Health Canada reported that the Chinese company Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals supplied valsartan to several companies that used it to make the finished product.

Health Canada was notified of the problem on June 27 but had to contact drug manufacturers.

Valsartan is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure or patients who have recently suffered a heart attack. According to IQVIA, a company that oversees the pharmaceutical industry, more than 2.5 million prescriptions were issued for the drugs used at the recall made in Canada last year. According to IQVIA data, this accounts for more than half of the 4.4 million prescriptions issued for treatment with valsartan in Canada.

The European Medicines Agency made a similar announcement last week. According to an EMA press release, it is believed that the presence of NDMA "is linked to changes in the way the active substance has been manufactured".

It is unclear whether the recall will result in a shortage of valsartan. According to Dr. Iris Krawchenko, Senior Consultant in Pharmacology with the Canadian Pharmacists Association, some Canadian companies are producing Valsartan that is not affected by the recall, but a large part of the supply in drugs has been affected by the news.

Drug shortages have become a familiar phenomenon in Canada in recent years, she said, posing challenges for pharmacists and patients who need access to the right medications.

"This is an unfortunate reminder to patients in Canada," Ms. Krawchenko said. "Unfortunately and unfortunately, pharmacists face this kind of scarcity and recalls too often."

A June CD report Howe Institute has found that nearly one in ten drugs has been affected by shortages in recent years.Pharmaceutical companies often cite raw material problems as a cause of shortages.

Jacalyn Duffin , one of the report's authors and professor emeritus at Queen's University, said that Canadians know very little of where the pharmaceutical ingredients come from.

"We continue to be blinded by products that disappear for one reason or another," she says. always d & e try to find them substitutes.

Health Canada is advising Canadians who are taking a drug containing valsartan to contact their pharmacist and health care provider to determine what action to take.

of all the medications contained in the recall, check the Recalls and Safety Notices website.