STAT Plus: FDA finds ‘unacceptable’ levels of a possible carcinogen in a widely used diabetes pill
After months of testing, the Food and Drug Administration reported finding unacceptable levels of a possible carcinogen in some metformin diabetes pills, marking the third time in two years that the same impurity was discovered in a widely used medicine.
In a brief statement, the agency noted that traces of a possible carcinogen known as NDMA were found in extended-release versions of metformin, but not in immediate-release versions. As a result, the FDA is contacting manufacturers to take “quick and appropriate action,” but did not say whether any recalls have so far occurred.