Litigation

Update on Pharmaceutical Giant, Actavis Totowa LLC

By Angel L. Reyes, III

I recently posted an article about the Actavis Totowa LLC recall of the drug Digitek, the #1 choice in the United States for treating congestive heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.  This recall included Digitek tablets manufactured at the New Jersey Actavis facility because tablets may have been commercially released in the U.S. market with double the thickness of the normal sized tablets.  The flawed Digitek tablets could have twice the strength of the recommended dosage, and cause serious digitalis toxicity and even death.

Now Actavis Totowa LLC is making the news again.  On August 1, 2008, the company announced a voluntary recall of all drug products manufactured at the New Jersey facility.  This recall is at the pharmacy/retail level and includes wholesalers and hospitals.  Apparently, improper manufacturing of drug products may have occurred for some time. In early 2007, the FDA sent Actavis a warning letter after its inspection showed that drug products manufactured in the facility were adulterated. The FDA criticized this facility's quality control unit, stating that it failed to "reliably establish the identity, strength, quality and purity of drug products manufactured and released onto the market."

The company claims that the recall was not a result of product complaints or health hazards associated with the drug products manufactured at the New Jersey facility, all of which are prescription medications.  According to the Actavis Totowa LLC press release posted by the FDA, the recall took place because of operations “which did not meet the FDA’s or Actavis’ standards for good manufacturing practices.”  However, history repeats itself and if the drug Digitek is any indication, who knows what side effects patients who took these other recalled prescription medications may experience?

As stated in my July 25th article, Actavis Totowa has received numerous reports of illnesses and injuries due to patients who may have taken the Digitek double-strength tablets manufactured at this facility.  My firm, Heygood, Orr, Reyes, Pearson & Bartolomei, has handled numerous cases against the manufacturers of dangerous drugs such as Digitek.   If you or someone you know has suffered serious side effects, or has died after taking the double-strength Digitek tablets, call me at 1.877.308.7900 or email angel@reyeslaw.com.

Full post as published by Angel Reyes Blog on August 04, 2008 (boomark / email).