Heart drug recall in SA

Heart medications that contain valsartan are being recalled in South Africa after an impurity was found at a manufacturing facility in China that produces the molecule for pharmaceutical firms globally.

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) this week confirmed the recall of medicines containing valsartan.

A statement issued by PR company Meropa on behalf of Pharma Dynamics, South Africa’s leading provider of cardiovascular medication, said: “The presence of the impurity could be linked to changes in the way the substance was manufactured, but an investigation is under way to determine the exact cause.”

The molecule, which has been on the South African market for 21 years, is used globally to treat cardiovascular disease. “No definitive information has been received to indicate an immediate threat to patients,” said the statement.

“SAHPRA is advising patients to consult with their doctor or pharmacist and to continue taking the medicine until they have a replacement,” it added.

SAHPRA classified it as a class II type B recall, which requires affected pharmaceutical companies to only notify healthcare practitioners, pharmacists and other authorised prescribers and dispensers of the recall as it doesn’t pose a serious threat to life. – ANA