UAE recalls drug for heart and blood pressure

The Ministry of Health calls for a nationwide recall of Nitrocine 'as a precautionary measure'.

The Ministry of Health has recalled a medication for heart and blood pressure conditions, after its German manufacturer reported the possibility of impurities forming in the product.

Schwarz Pharma AG, the maker of Nitrocine, said in a circular that tests have shown that impurities were detected when the product is stored for five years at 30°C and 70 per cent relative humidity, according to Al Ittihad, the Arabic-language sister paper of The National.

The recall is nationwide and has been taken "as a precautionary measure", the ministry said, in coordination with the manufacturer.

The local distributor has pledged to provide substitute quantities of the product to avoid shortages.