Valsartan is a commonly-prescribed drug for high blood pressure and heart failure. Authorities in the US and worldwide have recalled more than half of all Valsartan on the market because it was contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical called NDMA.
Most of the Valsartan was made by Chinese company Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals (ZHP). The FDA cited ZHP for violations before this, and has now banned ZHP from importing any drugs into the US. Indian company Hetero Labs made some of the contaminated Valsartan, and other drug manufacturers and suppliers in the US and elsewhere are also in the supply chain of tainted Valsartan.
Some patients have started lawsuits seeking compensation from Valsartan manufacturers and sellers. In this article, our personal injury lawyers will address:
1. What drug companies make Valsartan?
Drug manufacturer ZHP of China is the main company that makes Valsartan, the generic version of the blood pressure drug Diovan. Eighty percent of generic drugs sold in the US are made in China and India, and ZHP supplies Valsartan to other companies including some US drug companies. ZHP was one of the first Chinese companies to be approved to sell drugs in the US. ZHP has annual revenue of $742 million, and has 6,000 employees. In 2017, Valsartan sales accounted for $50 million of ZHP’s revenue.
ZHP is at the center of the Valsartan recall that started in summer 2018, because thousands of batches of their Valsartan were found to be contaminated with NDMA, which is known to cause cancer in animals and is expected to cause cancer in humans.
Most of the Valsartan manufacturers covered by the FDA recall bought the contaminated ingredient from ZHP. Some manufacturers in the recall are:
- Teva Pharmaceuticals labeled as Major Pharmaceuticals
- Prinston Pharmaceutical Inc. labeled as Solco Healthcare LLC.
- Teva Pharmaceuticals USA labeled as Actavis
- AvKARE (Teva/Actavis)
- RemedyRepack Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
- A-S Medication Solutions LLC (Teva/Actavis & Prinston/Solco)
- Bryant Ranch Prepack Inc. (Teva/Actavis)
- H J Harkins Company Inc. dba Pharma Pac (Prinston/Solco)
- Northwind Pharmaceuticals (Teva/Actavis)
- Hetero Labs, Inc. labeled as Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc
- NuCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Prinston/Solco)
- RemedyRepack, Inc. (Hetero/Camber)
- AvKARE (Hetero/Camber)
- Preferred Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Hetero/Camber)
- Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited
- RemedyRepack, Inc. (Torrent)
Click here for a list of all recalled Valsartan.
2. Are all Valsartan products recalled?
The FDA has not recalled all products containing Valsartan. The FDA has recalled Valsartan batches that were contaminated with a cancer-causing substance, and has not recalled uncontaminated batches.
The brand-name version of Valsartan is Diovan, made by Novartis. Novartis also makes Entresto which contains the same active ingredient. The FDA has not recalled Diovan or Entresto.
Here is the list of Valsartan not under recall.