This Should Ramp Up

This. should ramp up your confidence a notch or three in those DC bureaucrats. What did the FDA officials know and when did they know it? For some reason this picture is upside twisted.
——-
In July, drug companies began recalling dozens of lots of the blood pressure and heart medications called valsartan, losartan and irbesartan after testing found the drugs had trace amounts of cancer-causing impurities.

The Food and Drug Administration is investigating the underlying causes of the tainted drugs. Although the federal agency's inquiry isn't complete, inspections at factories in China and India revealed a history of problems before carcinogens in the drugs were ever discovered.

Here are answers to common questions about the recalls, the medications and what the FDA is doing.

Which drugs are affected by the recalls? 

Valsartan, losartan and irbesartan are commonly prescribed blood pressure medications that are part of a large class of drugs called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs, which work by blocking the effects of a hormone that narrows blood vessels. 

ARBs and another class of drugs called angiotensin converting-enzyme inhibitors, or ACE inhibitors, are often the first drugs doctors recommend to lower a patient's blood pressure.

Though companies recalled specific lots of the three medications – alone or in combination with other drugs – many of these commonly prescribed drugs are not part of the recall. 

Consumers can check the FDA's website for a full list of recalled drugs. No contaminants have been found in Novartis' Diovan, the brand-drug version of valsartan, according to the FDA. 

Throughout the recalls, doctors said stopping a medication without a replacement drug could cause a patient more harm than continuing the drug.

Why were the drugs recalled?

The FDA traced the drug impurities to factories in China and India that make and supply valsartan ingredients to generic drug companies worldwide. 

Testing showed the factories made valsartan that contained N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, a possibly cancer-causing substance. In September, the FDA said testing revealed a second contaminant, NDEA, in certain valsartan drugs.

Inspection reports revealed problems at both factories.

More: 3 more blood pressure drugs recalled over cancer concern

The CYA statement attributed to physicians above requires your contacting and most likely going in to see him or her for an alternative medication. You should note the FDA apparently has admitted there was a problems with these drugs even before so-called carcinogenic impurities were found.