Pfizer Recalls Hypertension Meds Due to Unacceptable Levels of Carcinogen

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Pfizer Hypertension Medications Recall Overview:

• Who: Pfizer is recalling 11 lots of hypertension medication.
• Why: The company said the medication contains nitrosamine, a carcinogenic chemical compound, above the acceptable daily intake levels.
• Where: The recall is nationwide.

Pfizer is recalling 11 lots of hypertension medications distributed by itself and by the company Greenstone, as it contains too much of the carcinogenic chemical compound nitrosamine.

In a recall notice posted to its website Mar. 21, Pfizer said it was voluntarily recalling six lots of Accuretic (quinapril HCl/hydrochlorothiazide) tablets, as well as one lot of quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide tablets and four lots of quinapril HCl/ hydrochlorothiazide tablets distribute by Greenstone.

Pfizer said it was issuing the recall due to the presence of a nitrosamine, N-nitroso-quinapril, above the acceptable daily intake level. 

The company said nitrosamines are common in water and foods; however, the impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time.

While Pfizer is recalling the pills, it said it still believed the benefit/risk profile of the products remains positive based on currently available data and that any patients taking the product should consult with their doctor about alternative treatment options.

“Lowering blood pressure reduces the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, primarily strokes and myocardial infarctions,” Pfizer said. “Although long- term ingestion of N-nitroso-quinapril may be associated with a potential increased cancer risk in humans, there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication.”

Pfizer is not aware of reports of adverse events associated with the recall so far, it said. The company is not currently facing legal action over the recall, but Top Class Actions follows recalls closely as they sometimes end in class action lawsuits

Pfizer Customers Can Call For a Refund

The National Drug Code, lot number, expiration date and configuration details for the recalled products can be found in the recall alert here. 

Pfizer said it had notified “direct consignees” by letter to arrange for the return of any recalled product.

“Wholesalers and distributors with an existing inventory of the lots should stop use and distribution and quarantine the product immediately,” the recall says.

Patients who are taking the product should consult with their health care provider or pharmacy to determine if they have the affected product. 

Patients with the affected product should call 888-843-0247 for instructions on how to return their product and get reimbursed.

Last month, a judge dismissed a class action lawsuit against Pfizer alleging that it had a duty to disclose that its recalled stop-smoking drug Chantix was contaminated by a type of carcinogen.

Are you affected by this recall? Let us know in the comments! 

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