NATIONWIDE -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned of a shortage of drugs used to treat high blood pressure.
- FDA warns of blood pressure medication shortage
- Valsartan, losartan and irbesartan have been part of recall
- Some medications contain chemicals liked to cancer
The drugs are part of a class of medications called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs, and contain valsartan.
"Valsartan products are in shortage, and we know that other types of products may fall into shortage soon," FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb and Dr. Janet Woodcock said in statement.
The medications, as well as versions with losartan and irbesartan, have been recalled for containing N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) or N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), chemicals linked to cancer.
The FDA is currently testing all ARBs for the chemical. Some of the contaminated medications were traced to China-based supplier Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals. Late last year, the company was placed on an import alert, which banned all its pharmaceutical products from entering the U.S.
The FDA is still trying to determine the root cause of the contamination, but says the impurities were likely generated during the manfacturing process.
"We're committed to implementing measures to prevent these impurities from occurring in the manufacturing process in the future," a statement said.
Patients taking blood pressure medication are advised to check their prescriptions because not all batches are part of the recall.
For a full list of drugs under recall, visit the FDA's website.