Novartis division Sandoz recalls one lot of blood pressure drug

Novartis said its Sandoz division was recalling one lot of losartan tablets after finding traces of a probable carcinogen in the blood pressure drug.

The drug is made by China’s Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical. Last month, the European Medicines Agency placed the firm under high supervision after a probable carcinogen was found in its blood pressure drug valsartan.

A review was extended to other ‘sartan’ medicines, including candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan and valsartan, after very low levels of a carcinogen was found in losartan made by Hetero Labs in India.

Novartis said Sandoz had not received any reports of adverse events related to this lot.