Novartis division Sandoz recalls one lot of Losartan drug

New Delhi: Novartis has recently announced its Sandoz division was recalling one lot of losartan tablets after finding traces of a probable carcinogen in the blood pressure drug.

The drug is made by China's Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd. Last month, the European Medicines Agency placed the firm under high supervision after a probable carcinogen was found in its blood pressure drug valsartan.

A review was extended to other 'sartan' medicines, including candesartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan and valsartan, after very low levels of a carcinogen was found in losartan made by Hetero Labs in India.

Novartis said Sandoz had not received any reports of adverse events related to this lot.