Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding the public to check their personal supply of long-acting insulin Levemir made by Novo Nordisk Inc., because less than 2 percent of the stolen vials have been recovered and are likely still being distributed. Evidence suggests that the stolen insulin was not stored and handled properly and may be dangerous to those who use it. The FDA has received several reports of patients who suffered an adverse events due to poor control of glucose levels after using a vial from one of the stolen lots.

The FDA first issued a health advisory in June 2009 warning of a batch vials stolen from North Carolina that had turned up at a medical center in Houston. More than 129,000 vials had been reported stolen. At the time, only one patient had suffered ill effects after receiving the insulin. Since then, more reports have surfaced.

Patients are urged to check their personal supply of insulin to determine if they have Levemir insulin from one of the following lots: XZF0036; XZF0037; XZF0038. The lot number can be found on the side of the box of insulin and also on the side of the vial. Patients who have vials from any of the above listed lots should replace it with a vial from another lot. Consumers with questions may call Novo Nordisk Customer Care at 800-727-6500.

If patients must switch to another brand of insulin for any reason, they should first contact their health care provider because another insulin product may require adjustments in dosing. Finally, patients should always look at their insulin carefully before using it. Levemir is a clear and colorless solution.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 29th, 2009 at 8:19 am and is filed under product liability, recalled products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.