Commonly-used blood pressure pills recalled due to contamination with cancer-causing chemical

DOZENS of blood pressure pills have been recalled from pharmacy shelves across Britain by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as they contain one of the dangerous chemicals linked to cancer.

As per orders, 31 batches of Irbesartan-containing medicinal products and 2 batches of Losartan-containing medicinal products are being recalled due to contamination with cancer-causing impurity azido-tetrazole, which was also deemed as the the world's 'most explosive chemical' in 2019.

Issuing the directives on Thursday (17), the UK’s drug authority said that it is a precautionary measure to prevent further exposure and there is no evidence that this impurity has caused any harm to patients. The recall is for pharmacies and wholesalers and is not a patient-level recall, said MHRA, adding that suddenly stopping medication for high blood-pressure can be risky, so patients are advised not to stop any treatments without consulting their healthcare team.

UK licence holders for the affected batches have already been contacted for the recall, as per MHRA. 

Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said: “We’re recalling batches of certain sartan-containing products as a precautionary measure while we continue our investigation.”

“It’s important that healthcare professionals check their stock to quarantine and return these batches.”

Irbesartan and losartan are prescribed to millions of Britons with high blood pressure every year. Officials have yet to explain how the latest impurity may have occurred.

Usually, they are caused by contamination in factories or brought on during the manufacturing or storage process. Exposure to light, temperatures or even reactions with the container that holds the drug can trigger chemical changes.  

Overall, more than two-thirds of all active drug ingredients originate in China and India, industry experts estimate, with China accounting for the lion's share.