A recall has been announced for an item that there’s already a shortage of thanks to a variety of other recalls.
Bedford Laboratories out of Ohio has issued a voluntary recall for three lots of cytarabine. This is used in the treatment of leukemia, and is a particularly popular chemotherapy drug due to its irreplaceability in fighting the cancer.
Following an investigation at the plant where the drug was made, Bedford has said that they are concerned about the sterility of these particular lots, which have an expiration date between March 2014 and May 2014. Production of the drug was previously halted due to a lack of required maintenance and testing of vital equipment. It was resumed earlier this year.
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration asked for cytarabine, Doxil, and preservative-free methotrexate to be made available through additional sources because of rampant shortages that resulted from recalls and issues with manufacture. Methotrexate is used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children, while Doxil is administered to women suffering from various cancers, including ovarian.
It saddens me as a personal injury lawyer in San Diego to think that certain life saving drugs might not be available, or that those drugs might have had a defect in the first place. As a Ventura personal injury lawyer, I hope everyone who needs the drugs is able to receive them.