Diabetes Drug Metformin Recalled Due to Potentially Causing Cancer: Is Litigation Next?
In mid-June, yet another company recalled diabetes drug Metformin due to possibly containing dangerously high levels of NDMA, a cancer-causing ingredient. The FDA already previously called on a number of manufacturers to recall the drug due to its associated cancer risk.
According to some experts, part of the problem is the extended-release formulation of the drug and, as one of the popular most popular anti-diabetic medications in the world, it is estimated that pharmacies have been prescribing the drug here in the United States since approximately 1995.
What Is NDMA? What Does It Do?
Nitrosodimethylamine or “NDMA” is classified as a probable human carcinogen, meaning that it can potentially cause cancer. And while all of us are exposed to it in small amounts via the air, soil, water, etc., it is present in a number of these drugs in dangerously high amounts (beyond what the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has determined the daily intake of it should not exceed; 96 nanograms). The risk of cancer increases the longer that people are exposed to it at these higher levels during prolonged periods of time. The substance can also cause kidney, liver, and lung issues, has been linked to liver fibrosis and tumors in animal studies, and can also affect the brain, bladder, lungs, and stomach. Scientists are still unsure as to how exactly NDMA gets into the medications that it has been linked to, although it is suspected that the compounds that form it are present in the drugs beforehand and also form after the drug itself is formulated as well.
Product Liability Litigation Involving Zantac for Same Reason
Other medicines recalled due to the presence of the substance include ranitidine, or Zantac, and there have already been a number of associated product liability lawsuits filed against manufacturers by those injured by the products, claiming that manufacturers knew that their products contained dangerously-high levels of NDMA and should have warned customers of this danger/risk.
It was an independent online pharmacy that originally discovered and announced the presence of the chemical in some batches of the drug and informed the FDA, which then requested that manufacturers remove the drugs from the market. FDA testing has since found that NDMA levels tend to increase when the drug is stored at both normal and higher temperatures and the older the product is, the higher the amount of NDMA found in it.
If You Have Any Questions or Concerns, Contact A Maryland Products Liability Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one was injured by the negligence of a manufacturer and are considering your options for pursuing an insurance or injury claim, we can help. Our personal injury firm is dedicated to assisting Maryland residents who have suffered these types of injuries, and we can provide skilled legal representation, working towards recovering the highest amount of financial damages that our clients deserve. Contact a La Plata & Waldorf personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Hammad S. Matin, P.A. today to find out more.
Resources:
ibtimes.com/diabetes-drug-recall-2020-more-metformin-medication-recalled-cancer-causing-2992814
pahomepage.com/top-stories/type-2-diabetes-medication-recalled-for-possible-cancer-risk/
healthline.com/health-news/fda-asks-companies-to-recall-diabetes-medication-metformin-over-cancer-causing-chemical#What-is-NDMA-and-why-is-it-harmful?
https://www.matinlaw.com/what-is-contributory-negligence/
