Back in July, almost 22 countries around the world issued recalls for valsartan, a generic blood pressure medication which forms the backbone of many medicines. After conducting an extensive review, the FDA revealed that they would be recalling many products containing valsartan in the United States, because some contained the highly carcinogenic chemical known as N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA. Now the FDA has announced that they will be expanding the recall efforts even further, as they have discovered traces of the same contamination in valsartan products manufactured by other companies.

Our team of defective drug lawyers at The Ferraro Law Firm, P.A. has built a reputation for holding negligent drug companies accountable for their actions, especially when they can harm consumers who are already vulnerable. It’s more than reasonable to expect that your life-saving blood pressure medication be carefully tested for contaminations before it reaches your local pharmacy. If companies fail to deliver that, we believe they should take responsibility for their actions, in the form of a recall or formal settlement for their injured victims.

If you’ve taken valsartan and sustained injuries as a result, contact us today at (888) 554-2030. We offer free consultations on defective drug and product liability cases.

How Many Products Have Been Affected by Contamination?

Officials insist that the compound valsartan itself is not the true issue here: The fatal risk of cancer that the drug now poses is strictly related to errors at the manufacturing level. In their news release, the FDA wrote that “the presence of NDMA was unexpected and is thought to be related to changes in the way the active substance was manufactured.” This means that at some point, one of the companies involved in drug production and testing failed to fully examine their products. What’s most disturbing is that multiple U.S. drug manufacturers missed the same NDMA contamination, which is thought to originate from a Chinese distributor called Zhuhai Rundu Pharmaceuticals. It’s estimated that 45 percent of the valsartan used in the United States comes from this producer, and as of today, nearly half a dozen major drug companies have been included in the widening recall.

If you’re taking valsartan in any form, the FDA recommends cross-referencing your label with the manufacturers listed on their website. Because blood pressure medication can be dangerous to halt altogether, it’s recommended that you schedule an appointment with your physician as soon as possible, and in the meantime, review the recall instructions provided by the FDA and the drug manufacturers.

Taking on Dangerous Drug Manufacturers Since 1985

In this particular case, the FDA has set the national spotlight on the serious issue of contamination in drugs, and provided the transparency that consumers need. But not every case of pharmaceutical negligence will be this clearly defined, and if you’re hurt after using a drug as intended, it can be difficult to know how to proceed. Our attorneys at the Ferraro Law Firm, P.A. have focused on defective drug litigation for decades, and we’ve successfully won settlements totaling millions of dollars for our injured clients.