Yet another valsartan class action lawsuit has been filed against the mega-retailer Walmart and three drug companies which funnel into the supply chain for the big box store.

Among the named drug companies are Aurobindo—an India-based drug maker, domestically-based ScieGen Pharmaceuticals, and distributor Westminster Pharmaceuticals.

The valsartan class action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Florida because the closely related hypertensive drug irbesartan was tainted by N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), according to FiercePharma.

This substance is a suspected of being a human carcinogen and, because of the way “sartan”-based high-blood pressure drugs are manufactured, all varieties run the risk of having been compromised.

This valsartan class action lawsuit was lodges after an announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October that Aurobindo decided to recall close to two dozen batches of irbesartan API.

These batches were reportedly proven to contain NDEA upon testing. Within a few days of the announcement, ScieGen and Westminster started their own recall process.

A voluntary recall of all sold and stocked unexpired irbesartan API was announced to the public because the tainted product had been sourced from the India plant and shipped to Walmart pharmacies.

The valsartan class action lawsuit accuses the defendants of unjust enrichment by charging full price to consumers for this product which was allegedly contaminated by NDEA. It accuses the players of gross negligence and failure to warn.

Whether or not the recalled drugs were effective against hypertension is irrelevant, according to the class action lawsuit, because consumers faced significant risk by the addition of this carcinogen.

This valsartan class action lawsuit is just one of many to be filed globally since the summer of 2018. The FDA and European Union (EU) learned then that a Chinese company had produced valsartan with NDEA and NDMA in it.

The company is known as Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals and it has been named as a defendant in several lawsuits spanning the states of New York, Missouri, New Jersey, and Illinois, according to the FiercePharma article.

Since it is now becoming apparent that recalls are spreading among a host of pharmaceutical manufacturers regarding several drugs in this class which treat high-blood pressure, it is expected that further efforts to litigate will follow the trend.

Any consumer taking a medication in this class should consult their pharmacist to determine if the sourcing manufacturer is among those recalling products.

A patient should never cease medical treatment for a condition as serious as high-blood pressure without first consulting their prescribing physician. Hypertension is a significant health risk that, to date, has produced great documented damage.

While there have been no reports of adverse medical events related to the NDEA or NDMA contamination, concerns regarding your medications and their trustworthiness need to be addressed. You may have a legal claim and be due compensation if you have been taking a ‘sartan’ drug and experienced side effects.