Another Dangerous Solvent Found in Valsartan

Dangerous solvent found in Valsartan

Pharmacist.com, an online resource for pharmacists, healthcare professionals and the general public, reported that drug companies recently announced that cancer-causing solvent was detected in Valsartan high blood pressure medication. The online pharmacy company known as Valisure said that dimethylformamide, or DMF for short, is listed by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen and was found by various drug companies to be present in the generic versions of Valsartan which they produced. Valisure filed documentation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reporting its findings and the companies that produce Valsartan have announced a recall of the medication. DMF is the fourth carcinogen detected in high blood pressure medication within the last year.

Valsartan is a high blood pressure medication that has been on the market in the United States in a generic form for quite some time. The makers of Valsartan combine the active ingredient that helps combat high blood pressure with other inert substances to form the pill which high blood pressure sufferers take.

Valisure reported to the FDA that DMF might be found in Valsartan tablets sold in the United States presently. Novartis AG, the massive international drug manufacturer, and other drug makers sell Valsartan that contains amounts of DMF that exceed permissible levels established by the FDA.

The recent discovery of DMF in Valsartan has complicated matters for physicians, the FDA, and pharmaceutical companies. Healthcare providers continue to search for a safe alternative medication for people with high blood pressure to take that is not made with a carcinogenic substance. There are fewer alternatives available now that Valisure revealed that Valsartan has DMF in it.

The FDA recommends that patients need to continue to take their high blood pressure medications as directed by their physicians. Stopping high blood pressure medication can have disastrous consequences for high blood pressure sufferers. Patients who are concerned about their options must contact their physicians immediately.