Nurofen – entire product recall – sabotage suspected

Nurofen – entire product recall – sabotage suspected

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14685629

“The makers of Nurofen Plus have recalled all remaining stock, saying sabotage is suspected in some packets….

….A spokesman said the firm was working with police on a formal investigation to find those responsible…….

…..Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd said one of the two additional batches affected contained Seroquel XL 50mg, and one contained the Pfizer product Neurontin 100mg capsules, which is an epilepsy drug…..

…A Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd said: “Sabotage is suspected and we are working with the police on a formal investigation to find the person or persons responsible….”

“Distribution of Nurofen Plus has been halted at this time.”

This has turned in to quite a serious situation and the fact that they have discovered more than one drug being substituted points to sabotage.

The question is who and why ?

No I am not out of my depth in commenting as I spent two rigorous years as a research assistant in the American Pharma (successful completion to market of a human Calcium Channel Blocker Nicardepine Hydrochloride) and we had training to be vigilant for saboteurs (in those days it was animal liberationists who would attack laboratories which housed animals bred for testing purposes).

This is an entire new ball park.

There has been the threat of fake medicines (proliferate in Africa and the East) getting into the Western pharmaceutical chain but that was supposed to be only likely at the local pharmacy level.

This is a problem at production source. – Serious IMO.

If you have anyone you know on on regular tablet/capsule medication then IMO you may be advised to seek advice from the MHRA website, your pharmacist and the original pharma patent holder for the drug. Each tablet and capsule has distinct identifying markers and in some cases colours/text.

This information is also available from the National Poisons Unit http://www.npis.org/NPIS%20services.htm