The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Santa Clarita health care professionals and patients about a voluntary recall of several drug products containing the active ingredient Valsartan, used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, because of a defect that may cause cancer.

The recall is due to an impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which was found in the recalled products.

NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen, a substance that could cause cancer based on results from research conducted in laboratories.

To determine whether medication contains Valsartan, look at the label on the side of the prescription bottle. If the label doesn’t say what is included in the medication, the FDA recommends contacting the doctor or pharmacy where the prescription was picked up.

The presence of NDMA is thought to be related to changes in the way the active substance was manufactured.

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“The FDA is committed to maintaining our gold standard for safety and efficacy. That includes our efforts to ensure the quality of drugs and the safe manner in which they’re manufactured,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. “When we identify lapses in the quality of drugs and problems with their manufacturing that have the potential to create risks to patients, we’re committed to taking swift action to alert the public and help facilitate the removal of the products from the market.”

Santa Clarita patients who were prescribed medication which includes Valsartan are encouraged to talk with their doctor or pharmacist to get a replacement medication. However, the FDA suggests residents should keep taking their medication until a replacement is available.

If a patient is taking one of the recalled medicines, they should follow the recall instructions provided by the specific company. This information has been posted to the FDA’s website.

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