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Pfizer is voluntarily recalling blood pressure medicine

Accupril is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure

FILE - The Pfizer logo is displayed at the company's headquarters in New York, on Feb. 5, 2021. Nearly three dozen companies worldwide will soon start making generic versions of Pfizers coronavirus pill, according to the Medicines Patent Pool, a U.N.-backed group that negotiated the agreements with the pharmaceutical. The new agreements would allow generic drugmakers in a dozen countries in Asia, the Caribbean, the Middle East and eastern Europe to produce either the raw ingredients for the Pfizer drug or the pill itself. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) (Mark Lennihan, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The FDA posted this recall on April 22, 2022:

Pfizer is voluntarily recalling five (5) lots of Accupril (Quinapril HCl) tablets distributed by Pfizer to the patient (consumer/user) level due to the presence of a nitrosamine, Nnitroso-quinapril, observed in recent testing above the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) level.

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Nitrosamines are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines. These impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time.

Accupril is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. Accupril is also indicated in the management of heart failure as adjunctive therapy when added to conventional therapy including diuretics and/or digitalis. Accupril has a safety profile that has been established over 30 years. To date, Pfizer is not aware of reports of adverse events that have been assessed to be related to this recall. Pfizer believes the benefit/risk profile of the products remains positive based on currently available data. Although long-term ingestion of Nnitroso-quinapril may be associated with a potential increased cancer risk in humans, there is no immediate risk to patients taking this medication. Patients currently taking the products should consult with their doctor or health care provider about alternative treatment options for them.

The NDC, Lot Number, Expiration Date, and Configuration details for these products are indicated in the tables below and photos of the products can be found at the end of this press release. The product lots were distributed nationwide to wholesalers and distributors in the United States and Puerto Rico from December 2019 to April 2022.

  • Accupril® (Quinapril HCl Tablets), 10 mg
  • Accupril® (Quinapril HCl Tablets), 20 mg
  • Accupril® (Quinapril HCl Tablets), 40 mg

You can find more info here.


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About the Author
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You can see Jenna weekday mornings at the anchor desk on WSLS 10 Today from 5-7 a.m. She also leads our monthly Solutionaries Series, where we highlight the creative thinkers and doers working to make the world a better place.