A man from Louisiana recently filed a valsartan lawsuit, alleging the blood pressure medication was defective and may have contributed to him developing bladder cancer.

According to the lawsuit, the claimant alleges he took contaminated valsartan which reportedly rendered the blood pressure medication ineffective and potentially dangerous.

Plaintiff Michael S. named Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. and at least one generic pharmaceutical company in his valsartan lawsuit, claiming the companies were responsible for manufacturing, producing, and distributing contaminated stocks of the blood pressure medication.

Valsartan is a very popular blood pressure medication that is a part of the angiotensin II receptor agonist drug family, which works by easing the circulation process.

According to the valsartan lawsuit, Michael was prescribed the blood pressure medication in 2016 to treat hypertension, and ingested it on a regular basis until early 2018. On Jan. 5, 2018, Michael says he was diagnosed with bladder cancer after only ingesting valsartan for over one year.

Michael later discovered the valsartan medication may have been contaminated with NDMA. This valsartan recall was announced by the FDA on July 13, 2018.

Prior to the recall, Michael says he was not aware that he was consuming potential carcinogens that had not only made the blood pressure medication useless in its purpose but may have also contributed to the development of bladder cancer.

Overview of Valsartan NDMA Contamination

According to the FDA recall announcement, Solco and other generic drug manufacturers in the United States have had to recall their affected valsartan from the market stating the NDMA contamination may have been from changes in Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals’ manufacturing processes.

The FDA is not only investigating the level of NDMA in contaminated valsartan stocks but also assessing what measures can be taken to prevent situations like this in the future.

The NDMA contamination was announced by the European Medicines Agency in May 2018 that a potentially dangerous toxin had been found in valsartan stocks from Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals in China.

European health officials began recalling potentially tainted stocks of valsartan and encouraged pharmacies to pull valsartan products from their shelves. The FDA similarly advised pharmacists to do the same, stating contaminated valsartan stocks should be returned to their manufacturer.

In addition to these orders, the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency pointed out that the NDMA contamination was due to a change in the manufacturing process in the Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals’ facility back in 2012.

This means that contaminated valsartan stocks may have been on the market for several years, exposing patients to an increased risk of cancer.

It is important to note that not every valsartan product on the market suffers from the NDMA contamination. According to the FDA, many generic manufacturers that may have distributed valsartan that is now subject to recall. These generic manufacturers include, but are not limited to:

• Teva Pharmaceuticals labeled as Major Pharmaceuticals
• Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc. labeled as Solco Healthcare LLC
• Teva Pharmaceuticals USA labeled as Actavis
• A-S Medication Solutions LLC (Teva/Actavis & Prinston/Solco)
• Bryant Ranch Prepack Inc. (Teva/Actavis)
• Northwind Pharmaceuticals (Teva/Actavis)
• Hetero Labs, Inc. labeled as Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• NuCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
• RemedyRepack, Inc. (Hetero/Camber)
• Mylan Pharmaceuticals

Michael is seeking damages for negligence and failure to warn in his valsartan lawsuit, alleging the blood pressure medication has permanently impacted his life.

This Valsartan Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-00078, in the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Louisiana.