Louisiana patients may be concerned about potential risks to their health if they have taken certain blood pressure tablets that contained trace amounts of a known human carcinogen. Two lots of Losartan potassium tablets, used to treat high blood pressure and other disorders linked to Type 2 Diabetes, were voluntarily recalled by Torrent Pharmaceuticals. The company announced the recall of two lots of the medication on the Food and Drug Administration website.

The pills were found to contain small amounts of N-nitrosodiethylamine, a naturally-occurring chemical that is also linked to air pollution and industrial emissions. It is considered to be a probable cause of cancer in humans. While drug safety officials said that patients should continue to take their medication, they also said that they should speak with a pharmacist or doctor about alternative treatments. As the recall only applies to specific lots of Losartan tablets, patients may be able to replace their recalled medication with a new, uncontaminated lot. However, stopping the pills without ensuring an alternative is in place may lead to serious health consequences for high blood pressure patients.

People rely on their medications to be reliably produced, without contamination by harmful compounds. In some cases, dangerous elements could find their way into medications and other consumer products as a result of industrial contamination at the point of manufacture. The consequences can be serious and sometimes fatal.

Companies have a responsibility to bring only safe products to the market and to maintain conditions that avoid dangerous contamination. People who have been harmed can consult with a personal injury lawyer about the potential to pursue a defective products claim for their damages.

Source: WSPA, “More blood pressure medication recalled after cancer-causing chemical found“, Dec. 21, 2018