Pfizer Recalls More Bottles of Lipitor
Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, recalled a batch of 19,000 bottles of Lipitor last week after reports of a musty odor emanating from the bottles. This is the fourth recall since August for the cholesterol-lowering prescription drug.
The odor is consistent with the presence of a chemical called TBA that is linked to a wood preservative used in chipping pallets. The same chemical was cited in recalls of Johnson & Johnson’s Tylenol and other over-the-counter medications.
Both companies say that the risk of serious harm is remote, although there have been reports of nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhea after consumers used products that contained TBA.
Lipitor is the best-selling prescription drug in the U.S., with about $7.5 billion in sales last year. The latest announcement brings the recall total to about 360,000 bottles. Going forward, Pfizer pledged to “enact rigorous measures to prevent odor-related issues