Blood Pressure Drug Recall Expanded by FDA, Again

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded its recall of some widely-prescribed blood pressure medication due to a possible contamination from a carcinogenic chemical.

The expanded recall includes an additional five lots of the generic blood pressure drug, losartan, made by Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited. They include losartan potassium tablets, and losartan potassium/hydrochlorothiazide tablets.

"The impurity detected is N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid (NMBA). Torrent is only recalling lots of losartan-containing products that contain N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid (NMBA) above the acceptable daily intake levels released by the FDA," the FDA wrote in its release.

NMBA has been linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer and Torrent is only recalling those lots of losartan-containing products that contain N-Methylnitrosobutyric acid above the FDA's acceptable daily intake levels.

The drug, losartan, is used by doctors to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. This is the fifth time so far this year that Torrent Pharmaceuticals has expanded its voluntary recall of the generic drug. The first recall was issued in January of 2019.

Photo: U.S. Food and Drug Administration