A St. Louis-based drug maker has recalled some lots of generic Hydromorphone HCl and suspended shipments of other drugs because of manufacturing problems. According to an FDA press release, Ethex Corporation, a division of KV Pharmaceutical, recalled the painkiller Dec. 23 because the manufactured pills were larger than intended. This could cause an overdose of the drug, a morphine product with addiction potential and a federal Schedule II classification, leading to low blood pressure, breathing problems and sedation. People who think they might have the recalled drug (Lot #90219) should visit KV’s Web site for more information on how to identify and return it.
This is the fourth recall by Ethex and KV over the last few months, according to an article by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Like this one, at least some of the past recalls involved oversized pills. At least two of them also involved morphine products that had the potential to addict patients or cause a fatal overdose. KV fired its longtime CEO for cause in December, has lost value on the stock market and doesn’t expect to resume manufacturing its products until spring.
Morphine products are both useful and potentially dangerous because they are derived from opium. In addition to being highly addictive, they can slow the heartbeat and breathing, sometimes dangerously so. Oversized pills like the ones that were recalled could potentially give patients more of the drug than intended or marked on the packaging. In addition to raising the potential for a fatal overdose, this could also sedate patients more than intended, causing problems with driving or other everyday activities and raising the potential for a harmful drug interaction.
The article doesn’t say how the corporate problems with this company may have affected its drug safety problems. But if a drug manufacturer or its decision-makers have suppressed important information about a drug’s safety, the company is liable for a dangerous prescription drug lawsuit. In this case, that could mean multiple morphine overdose lawsuits filed by families who have lost a loved one to dangerously oversized pills. Carey, Danis & Lowe represents clients throughout the Midwest and the United States who have been seriously injured by a pharmaceutical company’s failure to warn patients of their products’ defects. If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt in this way and you’d like to learn more, please contact us online for a free evaluation of your case.
