Diabetes drugs recalled across Canada due to cancer concerns
Health Canada has expanded a national recall for certain types of diabetes medications due to concerns that an impurity in the prescription drugs could be linked to cancer.
The recall, issued Wednesday, is for certain brands of drugs containing metformin, which is prescribed to some patients with Type 2 diabetes to help control their blood sugar levels.
The recalled medications contain alarmingly high levels of an organic compound called N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA. The compound is safe when ingested in small doses over a lifetime, but studies have shown that it is potentially carcinogenic above a certain threshold.
