Glass Found in Lipitor Batches Halts Production

Traces of glass particles in Lipitor batches forced manufacturer Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. to halt its production while an investigation is taking place. Upon finding the stem of the problem and determining a way to rectify it, the Food and Drug Administration will allow Ranbaxy to resume after the November Lipitor or atorvastatin recall until then, for the consumer’s safety and to reduce the chance of personal injury, production will stop.

For almost a year now, India’s Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. has been under the watchful eye of the FDA after it was apparent that they had a quality lapse in several of their factories over the past several years. This recall was issued for an approximate forty batches containing varying 10-, 20- and 40-miligram doses of the atorvastatin tablets.

Generic versions of the world’s top selling drug Lipitor are available however, and they are manufactured by various other companies.

On November 9th, Ranbaxy notified pharmacies and other customers about the recall according to Bloomberg Businessweek, but it wasn’t until November 23rd that the company made a public disclosure stating the reason for the recall.

Numerous batches of atorvastatin in bottles containing 90 or 500 tablets were recalled due to “possible contamination with very small glass particles similar to the size of a grain of sand,” according to the FDA.

Reports of patients suffering any type of harm from the consumption of the tainted drug have not reached the government agency as of now but they are ready and remarked that the harm may not be too serious. A quick assessment seems to have indicated that if the product was consumed the risk of injury would be low and the length of harm would only be temporary, allegedly.

It is strongly recommended that consumers consult with a medical authority in the matter, such as a pharmacist, to determine if they have consumed any of the recently recalled atorvastatin. In case that they have, they need to consult them in regards to alternative drug to take.

Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering drug and its generic versions are taken by millions of people across the United States. Pfizer alone reported to have made close to $13 billion in its top year from the medicine alone. Despite the recall, the FDA assures people that there are enough generics to prevent a shortage of the medicine.

If you have suffered any type of injury as a result of a drug manufacturer’s negligence, contact a personal injury lawyer today – you may be entitled to compensation!

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