US FDA Won't Budge On Nitrosamines Compliance Despite Complaints Of Possible Drug Shortages

Industry requests for deadline extensions, short-duration adjustments and other accommodations go nowhere as FDA expresses concerns about nitrosamines’ mutagenic potency.

Chemcial diagram of probable carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine linked to FDA's investigation of nitrosamines in drugs that began after an independent testing firm in 2019 submitted petition showing it in OTC heartburn remedies with ranitidine as an active ingredient. • Source: Alamy

The US Food and Drug Administration stood its ground when confronted recently by trade associations for manufacturers of OTC and Rx drugs over the difficulty of following agency guidance on reducing cancer risk from nitrosamine impurities to acceptable levels.

The agency, however, left an opening for continuing dialogue over possibly further extending compliance deadlines set forth in the September...

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