The Food and Drug Administration has broadened a recall of the common blood pressure drug valsartan, saying some batches around the world have been contaminated with a potentially cancer-causing chemical, and the warning has served as a reminder of a drug market that's increasingly outsourced to other countries, NBC News reported.
While no product sold in the United States has been found to be contaminated, the FDA says the process used to make some generic versions has the potential to generate the chemical. Still, the danger only lies in lifetime exposure, so the FDA said patients can continue taking the drug until they confirm its unaffected or they switch to an alternative.
But the case does illustrate the challenges the FDA must overcome in regulating the drug market and how vulnerable the U.S. is when it depends on other countries, especially China, to make essential drugs.
The FDA has ways of ensuring product safety, such as regularly sending inspectors to scrutinize Chinese facilities. But no inspection would have found the NDMA contaminant, a byproduct of processing foods such as bacon as well as a water contaminant.
Charles Krupa/AP
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USA Today
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