A valsartan recall class action lawsuit has been recently filed in California against the manufacturers of the anti-hypertensive drug over allegations that, due to NDMA contamination of the drug, consumers don’t get what they paid for.

Plaintiffs John J. and Jo H. file the valsartan class action lawsuit on behalf of all those similarly situated and demand a trial by jury.

According to the valsartan recall class action lawsuit, patients take the medication to help treat conditions of heart failure, post-heart attack recovery, and high blood pressure. However, a contaminant had been recently discovered in the medication that reportedly increases the risks for cancer development.

John says that he used hard-earned money when he purchased his valsartan-containing drugs, but had the manufacturer’s “deception about the impurities within their products been made earlier… [he] would not have paid for” the medication.

Overview: Valsartan Recall Class Action Lawsuit

Valsartan is an anti-hypertensive medication prescribed to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. It can also help treat and reduce death risks associated with heart attacks. However, it’s been discovered that some batches of this drug were contaminated with NDMA, which this raises patient’s risks for cancer among other severe adverse side effects and complications, such as liver damage.

There are a number of manufacturing companies that distribute and make valsartan including Teva Pharmaceuticals and Major Pharmaceuticals. Their anti-hypertensive medication was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 14, 2002. It belongs to a class of medications called angiotensin II receptor agonists.

Angiotensin medications dilate blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely. The drug may either be sold as a stand-alone medication or be available as valsartan HCTZ; a combination of the medication with the diuretic, hydrochlorothiazide.

In May 2018, however, an announcement was made by the  European Medicine Agency, reporting a possible contaminant found in valsartan from Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals, a Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturer. NDMA, or N-nitrosodimethylamine, is the noted contaminant which is classified as a “probable human carcinogen.”

As a result, the FDA has asked three of the drug’s manufacturing companies to voluntarily recall the drug and pull it off market shelves in July 2018. More companies have joined the recall since then. The FDA has also asked pharmacists to return affected valsartan medications out of their inventories and return them to manufacturing facilities.

An ongoing investigation by the FDA is looking to NDMA contamination  levels in the varying medications. They are hoping to raise awareness and prevent future contamination events in medications manufactured by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals in the future.

NDMA traces could have been present in medications manufactured as long ago as 2012. Not all valsartan products, however, have been recalled. Only certain valsartan products have been pulled off market shelves.

The Valsartan Recall Class Action Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-01405-DAD-EPG, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division.