The FDA has released an announcement that they are investigating other drugs that contain trace amounts of NDMA, a known carcinogen. The release states that while non-US regulators have recalled drugs containing metformin, a common ingredient in blood-pressure-regulating medications for type 2 diabetics, the FDA is not issuing a recall and is still investigating.
NDMA can be found in many foods, including vegetables, grilled meats, and drinking water, but is not considered dangerous unless over 96 nanograms are ingested daily, which is rare. Zantac and other ranitidine products have been recalled recently due to the discovery of high levels of NDMA present in consumer’s bodies after ingesting the medication: the result of the unstable nature of the ranitidine molecule breaking down into NDMA.
The timeline for the FDA investigation is currently unclear, and will not be limited to metformin. As stated in the press release, “Improved technology enables [the FDA] to detect even trace amounts of impurities in drug products and may be the reason why more products have been found to have low levels of NDMA.” This means that their scope has widened to a larger array of medications than earlier in the year.
The exact number of drugs being investigated is unknown, and we won’t know for a while if any drugs are found to be dangerous. Keep up to date by watching the FDA’s press announcements page.