Lo-Zumandimine FDA Alerts

Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, Due to Out-of-Specification Dissolution Test Results

July 23, 2019 -- Salisbury, Maryland, Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, 3 mg/ 0.02mg, 28x3 Blister Pack/Carton to the consumer level. The affected product is being recalled due to out-of-specification (OOS) dissolution results at the 3-month stability time point. The affected product is manufactured by Cyndea Pharma, S.L., Olvega (Soria), 42110 Spain under contract from Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc., 207 Kiley Drive Salisbury, Maryland 21801.

As a result of the OOS dissolution results, product efficacy may be decreased due to incomplete absorption of the active ingredients. To date, Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

Product Description: Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets are an estrogen/progestin combination oral contraceptive, indicated for use by women to:

• Prevent pregnancy
• Treat symptoms of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) for women who choose to use an oral contraceptive for contraception
• Treat moderate acne for women at least 14 years old and/or if the patient desires an oral contraceptive for birth control

Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets are packaged into a carton containing 3 blister cards. Each blister card contains 28-film coated, biconvex tablets, in the following order: 24 active pink-color round, unscored, film-coated tablets debossed with a “20” on one side, each containing 3 mg Drospirenone and 0.02 mg Ethinyl Estradiol, and four (4) inert white-color round, unscored, film-coated tablets debossed with a “PL”.

The affected Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, has been identified as Lot number 183222, with NDC number 59746-763-43 and expiration date of 11/2020.

Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, 3 mg/0.02 mg, lot 183222 was distributed Nationwide to wholesalers, distributors, and retailers.

Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. is notifying its customers by emailing a recall notification letter and response form and is arranging for return of all recalled product.

Patients that have used the affected lot of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, 3 mg/0.02 mg should consult their healthcare provider. Patients may return the affected lot to their place of purchase.

Wholesalers, distributors, and retailers should immediately examine their inventory for the affected lot. All inventory of the affected lot should be quarantined to prevent further distribution to patients. Customers who purchased the impacted product directly from Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. can call Inmar at 1-855-205-9246 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT, Monday – Friday) to arrange for their return.

Consumers with additional questions regarding the recall may contact Jubilant Cadista by phone at 1-800-308-3985 (9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. EDT, Monday – Friday). Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Jubilant Cadista Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a rapidly growing generic pharmaceutical company in the United States devoted to discovery, manufacture, sale, and distribution of prescription generic pharmaceutical products. To learn more about Jubilant Cadista, please visit our website: www.cadista.com

• Complete and submit the report Online
• Regular Mail or Fax: Download form or call 1- 800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

Source: FDA

Apotex Corp. Issues Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP, 28x3 Blister Pack/Carton Due to Possibility of Missing/Incorrect Tablet Arrangement

Weston, Florida, Apotex Corp . is voluntarily recalling four lots of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP to the patient /user level. The four recalled lots of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP may possibly contain defective blisters with incorrect tablet arrangements and/or an empty blister pocket. The affected product is manufactured by Oman Pharmaceutical Products Co. LLC. Oman under the subcontract from Helm AG, Nordkanalstrasse 28, Hamburg, 20097, Germany.

Risk Statement : As a result of this packaging error, where a patient does not take a tablet due to a missing tablet or that a patient takes a placebo instead of an active tablet, loss of efficacy is possible due to variation in the dosage consumed. To date, no case has been reported for pregnancy and adverse event to Apotex.

Patients who have received impacted lots of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP 3MG/0.03MG. or have questions regarding this recall please contact your pharmacy. Individuals should not interrupt their therapy, use a non-hormonal method of birth control, contact their health care provider for medical advice and may return the impacted packages to their pharmacist.

Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP are an estrogen/progestin COC indicated for use by women to prevent pregnancy. Drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol tablets (inner carton) consists of 28 film-coated, biconvex tablets in the following order: 21 yellow color tablets, each containing 3 mg drospirenone (DRSP) and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol (EE), and 7 placebo white color tablets. The affected Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP lots include the following and can be identified by NDC numbers stated on the inner and outer cartons:

The affected Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets were distributed Nationwide to wholesalers and distributors.

Apotex Corp.  has notified its affected wholesalers and distributors via mail (FedEx Standard Overnight) by mailing a recall notification letter and is arranging for return of all recalled product. Patients / users that have the affected lots of Drospirenone and Ethinyl Estradiol Tablets, USP which are being recalled should consult with their healthcare provider.

Wholesalers, Distributors and Retailers return the impacted product to place of purchase. Anyone with an existing inventory of the product should quarantine the recalled lots immediately.  Customers who purchased the impacted product directly from Apotex can call GENCO at 1- 877-674-2082 (7:00am – 5:00pm, CST Monday thru Friday), to arrange for their return.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Apotex corp.  by phone-number 1-800-706-5575 (8:30am – 5:00pm, EST Monday thru Friday) or email address UScustomerservice@Apotex.com . Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking or using this drug product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

• Complete and submit the report Online : www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm
• Regular Mail or Fax : Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Birth Control Pills Containing Drospirenone: Label Change-Products may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots

ISSUE: FDA has completed its review of recent observational (epidemiologic) studies regarding the risk of blood clots in women taking drospirenone-containing birth control pills.Based on this review, FDA has concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.

BACKGROUND:  Drospirenone is a synthetic version of the female hormone, progesterone, also referred to as a progestin. FDA is adding information about the studies to the labels of drospirenone-containing birth control pills.

The revised drug labels will report that some epidemiologic studies reported as high as a three-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for drospirenone-containing products when compared to products containing levonorgestrel or some other progestins, whereas other epidemiological studies found no additional risk of blood clots with drospirenone-containing products.  The labels also will include a summary of the previously released results of an FDA-funded study of the blood clot risk.

RECOMMENDATION: Women should talk to their healthcare professional about their risk for blood clots before deciding which birth control method to use.

Healthcare professionals should consider the risks and benefits of drospirenone-containing birth control pills and a woman’s risk for developing a blood clot before prescribing these drugs.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm
• Download form or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

[04/10/2012 - Drug Safety Communication - FDA]

Birth Control Pills Containing Drospirenone: Possible Increased Risk of Blood Clots

[UPDATED 10-27-2011] FDA notified healthcare professionals of release of the final report of the FDA-funded study that evaluated the risk of blood clots in users of several different hormonal contraceptives. The link is provided below. FDA’s review of the results of this study, specifically those results related to drospirenone-containing birth control pills, will be presented and discussed at the joint meeting of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on December 8, 2011.
 

[UPDATED 09/26/2011] FDA has not yet reached a conclusion, but remains concerned, about the potential increased risk of blood clots with the use of drospirenone-containing birth control pills. FDA has completed its review of the two 2011 studies that evaluated the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills. FDA is continuing its review of a separate FDA-funded study that evaluated the risk of blood clots in users of several different hormonal birth control products (contraceptives). Preliminary results of the FDA-funded study suggest an approximately 1.5-fold increase in the risk of blood clots for women who use drospirenone-containing birth control pills compared to users of other hormonal contraceptives. 

Given the conflicting nature of the findings from six published studies evaluating this risk, as well as the preliminary data from the FDA-funded study FDA has scheduled a joint meeting of the Reproductive Health Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee on December 8, 2011 to discuss the risks and benefits and specifically the risk of blood clots of drospirenone-containing birth control pills.

Birth Control Pills Containing Drospirenone: Possible Increased Risk of Blood Clots

ISSUE: FDA is aware of two newly published studies that evaluated the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in women who use birth control pills that contain drospirenone. The two recently published studies looked at whether there is a higher risk of blood clots in women taking birth control pills containing the progestin drospirenone when compared to similar women taking birth control pills containing a different progestin called levonorgestrel. These two new studies reported that there is a greater risk of VTE associated with birth control pills that contain drospirenone. This risk is reported to be up to 2 to 3 times greater than the risk of VTE associated with using levonorgestrel-containing pills. Other studies have not reported an increase in risk. The FDA is currently evaluating the conflicting results from these studies and will look at all currently available information to fully assess the risks and benefits of drospirenone-containing birth control pills. FDA will continue to communicate any new safety information to the public as it becomes available. Read the drug safety communication for more information on these studies.

BACKGROUND: Drospirenone is a type of female sex hormone called a progestin. Most birth control pills contain two types of hormones--estrogen and progestin. Birth control pills work by preventing the release of eggs from the ovaries (ovulation) and changing the cervical mucus and the lining of the uterus to prevent pregnancy. Brand names of drospirenone-containing products include Yaz (generics Gianvi and Loryna), Yasmin (generics Ocella, Syeda, and Zarah), Beyaz, and Safyral.

RECOMMENDATION: If your birth control pill contains drospirenone, do not stop taking it without first talking to your healthcare professional. Contact your healthcare professional immediately if you develop any symptoms of blood clots, including persistent leg pain, severe chest pain, or sudden shortness of breath. If you smoke and are over 35 years of age, you should not take combination oral contraceptives because they increase the risk that you could experience serious cardiovascular events, including blood clots.

Healthcare professionals and patients are encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of these products to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/index.cfm
• Download form1 or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

[05/31/2011 – Drug Safety Communication - FDA]

[05/31/2011 – Questions and Answers - FDA]