Hospira Inc. recently announced that it was beginning a nationwide recall of four of its injectable cancer drugs due to the presence of glass particles embedded in the neck of the vial. The drugs at issue are carboplatin, cytarabine, paclitaxel, methotrexate and have already been distributed across the country both to wholesalers and directly to consumers. In addition to treating cancer, methotrexate can be used to treat psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The Food and Drug Administration said there may be potential for the drugs to come into contact with the embedded particles and that the particles may then become dislodged into the drug solutions, risking harm to patients. If the drugs were then injected into a patient, the FDA says the risk of injury is great. Symptoms that a patient was injected with solutions mixed with the glass particles include the following:
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Bleeding
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Bruising
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Inflammation
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Itching
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Rash
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Chest pain
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Respiratory symptoms
Hospira has said that the cause of the glass defect was due to the manufacturing process used and blames the supplier for the trouble. The company will be arranging for a return and replacement of all the recalled products with safer vials that do not pose the risk of embedded glass particles.
If you or someone you know have been injured by a defective product and you would like to discuss your case with an attorney, please contact the Georgia product liability litigation attorneys at Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison & Norwood, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation.
Source: “Hospira Recalls Some Cancer Medicines,” by Jennifer Dooren, published at WSJ.com.
