Nowadays, drugs and product recall are not rare. According to Statista, 84 pharmaceutical companies in the United States reported at least one recall in the first quarter of 2018. Such action results not only in loss of revenue for the manufacturers rather the larger damage is experienced by the consumers. To prevent yourself from damage from these drugs, improving one’s health is key.
It is always a piece of big news when a certain drug gets pulled out of the market, especially if it passed the FDA’s screening. These drugs have undergone the trial stage, however, adverse effects were observed after its public launch.
NDMA found on Zantac
Zantac was recently added to the list of drugs that were recalled by the FDA. The ranitidine tablet manufactured by Amneal Pharmaceutical, LLC., was pulled out from the market due to the amount of NDMA found. NDMA or N-nitrosodimethylamine is commonly found on petroleum-based products that are identified to cause cancer.
FDA released a statement that requires the pharmaceutical company to drug and now have cancer may be eligible for economic and non-economic conduct its own laboratory testing and advised the public to discontinue the use of the said drug. According to 1.800 Injured, patients who consume the damage settlement. If the use of Zantac resulted in cancer, then Amneal Pharmaceutical LLC. is bound to face a large lawsuit.
Accutane caused inflammatory bowel syndrome
Accutane was initially developed and marketed as a chemotherapy drug for certain cancer types. In 1982, the FDA approved the use of an oral Accutane as a dermatological product for severe acne. It has then become the highest-selling drug by Roche reaching over $1.8 billion sales.
Due to its adverse effects, Accutane was named as one of the most dangerous drugs in 2004 by the FDA. Some side effects include inflammatory bowel movement, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. Because of this, Roche was mandated to pay $56 million to the affected consumers. The company then stopped manufacturing the drug in 2009.
Raptiva and Progressive Multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Back in 2009, Genentech, producer of Raptiva, voluntarily pulled out the drug for psoriasis. Because the drug suppresses a person’s immune system, it allows fatal infection to grow in the brain causing Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, or PMF. Three known and one possible death due to PMF were linked to the intake of Raptiva.
Heart rhythm abnormalities due to Darvon and Darvocet
Darvocet and Darvon were prescribed pain medicine. However, when Xanodyne Pharmaceutical found out that their manufactured drug, Darvocet, caused serious heart rhythm abnormalities, they decided to pull the drug out of the market. As instructed by the FDA, Darvon was soon recalled by the manufacturer.
Recalls happen when a drug becomes available through surrogate endpoints. Surrogate endpoints occur when a new drug uses the same clinical data of previously approved and safe drugs without undergoing clinical trials. However, drug recall can still happen after a new medication goes through extensive research, testing, development, and refinement. The problem may not be the drug itself but the manufacturing process.
