European drugs watchdog warns tainted heart medication may increase cancer rate
The European Medicines Agency says there could be one extra case of cancer for every 5,000 patients taking valsartan, the drug found to contain an impurity
London — The European Medicines Agency (EMA) estimates there could be one extra case of cancer for every 5,000 patients taking a common blood pressure and heart drug manufactured in bulk by a Chinese company that has been found to contain an impurity. The alarm over valsartan was first raised in July, prompting a global recall of affected pills. The agency believes the problem probably dates back to changes in manufacturing processes at Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical in 2012. In an update on its investigation issued on Thursday, the European drugs watchdog said its one-in-5,000 risk assessment was based on patients taking the highest valsartan dose every day for seven years. NDMA, or N-nitrosodimethylamine, is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Based on results from laboratory tests, it may cause cancer with long-term use. Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.