A Kansas City, Mo.-based drugmaker, Nostrum Laboratories, has become the latest company to recall its diabetes drug, metformin, after finding it contains unacceptably high levels of a carcinogen.
Nostrum recalled four lots of its metformin tablets after finding levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, above the FDA's acceptable daily intake level. Metformin is intended to improve blood glucose control in adults with Type 2 diabetes.
Nostrum joins the list of over a dozen drugmakers who have recalled their metformin products since the FDA first announced in May that it had found unacceptable levels of NDMA in metformin. The impurity was originally found by online pharmacy Valisure in early March.
Nostrum said its metformin pills were distributed nationwide to wholesalers, and it hasn't received any adverse event reports related to the drug.
The drugmaker also warned that it could be dangerous for patients with Type 2 diabetes to stop taking their metformin before talking to a healthcare provider.