Oct 17 (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical's
UK unit has recalled some batches of heartburn medicine
Ranitidine, Britain's medicines watchdog said on Thursday,
making it the latest drugmaker to pull the product.
Teva, the world's largest generic drugmaker, is recalling
all unexpired stock of Ranitidine Effervescent Tablets in 150
micrograms and 300 micrograms dosages, the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ranitidine-mhra-drug-alert-issued-for-teva-uk-recall.
Teva did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rantidine, a copycat of GlaxoSmithKline's Zantac, is
being taken off the shelves after the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration found "unacceptable" levels of a probable
cancer-causing impurity in the drug.
GSK last week recalled Zantac in all markets.
U.S. and European health regulators said last month they
were reviewing the safety of Ranitidine, after online pharmacy
Valisure warned of possible contamination with an impurity
called NDMA, which has carcinogenic potential.
Ranitidine is the latest drug in which cancer-causing
impurities have been found. Regulators have been recalling some
blood pressure and heart failure medicines since last year.
(Reporting by Pushkala Aripaka in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard
Orr)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)