Canada Follow The US And Recalls Several Diabetes Medications Over Cancer Risk

Canada has followed the lead of the United States and is pulling medicines thought to become carcinogenic from store shelves

Monday, June 15, 2020 - The US Food and Drug Administration has created a frenzy of regulatory activity about the safety of the world's leading heartburn medicine Zantac. Investigations are proceeding at full speed to determine what levels N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) increases when exposed to high temperatures and also the carcinogen's interactions with nitrates within the stomach. Hundreds of individuals with stomach, bladder, prostate, and many other types of cancer have consulted Zantac Cancer Lawyers and have filed lawsuits seeking damages for their physical, emotional, and financial suffering. Both Sanofi, the maker of Zantac, and the FDA have advised recalling Zantac and other heartburn and acid reflux medicines from store shelves in the US and Canada pending the investigations. Canada is as concerned as the US and has taken steps to recall type 2 diabetes drugs that may be harming consumers. Type 2 diabetes drugs work to redirect sugar out of the body through the urine for diabetic patients that do not want to inject themselves with insulin daily.

Health Canada announced the other day that Apotex Inc, Canada's leading diabetic drug manufacturer, would comply with the government's advisory and voluntarily withdraw prescription the diabetes drug metformin Apo-Metformin ER (extended-release) 500-milligram tablets from the market immediately. In line with other drugs such as blood pressure and heartburn, diabetic drugs have been found to have elevated levels of NDMA that may be considered carcinogenic (cancer-causing). It is feared that storing the drug at high temperatures may cause the NDMA to increase. The agency's NDMA public health concerns were stoked by the repetitive nature of taking daily type 2 diabetes pills even though NDMA ingested only occasionally and in microscopically low dosed was considered safe. The FDA's acceptable limit for NDMA is 96 ng (nanograms) per unit and online testing pharmacy Valisure discovered levels many thousands of times above that causing concern and prompting the company to file a citizen petition to call the research to the US FDA's attention.

Health Canada has continued to err on the side of caution and the Apotex recall follows in line with others. According to CTV News Canada, |"In March, JAMP Pharma Corporation voluntarily recalled 26 lots of its metformin drug due to the potential presence of nitrosamine impurities in the finished product. And Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. recalled six lots of its prescription RAN-Metformin drug over NDMA levels in February. Also in February, Health Canada issued a similar recall for eight lots of Apotex's APO-Metformin ER tablets sold in 500-milligram tablets."

The news of unpredictability in the safety of Canada's diabetic drugs is particularly concerning to Canadians as research indicates approximately one in every three Canadians suffers from diabetes or prediabetes. Government health authorities in the US and Canada warn diabetic patients to continue taking their medication as prescribed and if concerned to contact their physician for guidance. Discontinuing diabetic medication can have serious, life-threatening consequences. Those with diabetes live with the daily risk of developing a stroke, heart attack, acute kidney failure, and limb amputation.

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• Zantac Testing Accusations Heat Up With FDA Investigation Of Online Prescription Drug Testing Lab | 4/25/2022
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• Valisure LLC's Motivations And Ranitidine Testing Methods May Not Be Scrutinized Before Trial | 2/24/2022
• Zantac Lawsuits May Go To Trial In California In October Of This Year | 2/18/2022
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Lawyers for Zantac Heartburn Medicine Lawsuits

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.