A recent discovery of contamination inside valsartan led to a recall of the medications containing that formulation — and a valsartan recall lawsuit.

Some of the contamination that prompted the valsartan recall were linked to particular manufacturing facilities. A full investigation has not yet revealed how traces of NDMA contaminated the drugs affected by the valsartan recall.

Often, following a recall of a medication or a consumer product, buyers turn to litigation as a means of holding the manufacturer accountable. And, in fact, a lawsuit was recently filed as a result of the valsartan recall.

Plaintiff Robin R. has initiated a valsartan recall lawsuit against the manufacturers of the blood pressure medication. The valsartan recall lawsuit was filed after news and recall reports indicated that certain batches of valsartan were contaminated with NDMA, which could lead to cancer.

The valsartan recall lawsuit is brought forward as a class action on behalf of many thousands of other valsartan consumers. The valsartan recall lawsuit says that the defendants were responsible for marketing their medication as therapeutically equivalent to and otherwise the same as Diovan and made it appear as though these medications were manufactured and distributed in accordance with applicable regulations and laws.

However, according to the valsartan recall lawsuit, the defendants negligently ignored warning signs regarding the standards of operation at the manufacturing plant in China. The valsartan recall lawsuit says specifically that the defendants are responsible for negligently allowing Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals (ZHP) to manufacture the drug in facilities that led to the contamination.

The valsartan recall lawsuit says that the defendants should have known or did know that valsartan products manufactured by ZHP likely contained NDMA, a cancer-causing impurity. The adulterated valsartan drugs named in the valsartan recall lawsuit were allegedly marketed in the United States as early as 2015.

Some of the contamination dates, however, may stretch as far back as 2012. The valsartan recall lawsuit says that the plaintiff and associated class members paid for part or all of their valsartan prescriptions that were brought into the market illegally as a result of their not being fit for ordinary use. The valsartan recall lawsuit says that the manufacturer’s actions constitute consumer fraud, violations of state law and common law fraud.

The plaintiff in the valsartan recall lawsuit says that if she had known about the deception carried out by the defendants in relation to the contamination, she would have made another decision about using valsartan over the brand name drug.

The valsartan recall lawsuit was filed on behalf of many consumers who take valsartan for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart failure, hypertension or post-myocardial infarction.

The Valsartan Recall Lawsuit is Case No. 1:18-cv-16075; filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.