According to a court order dated April 29, valsartan recall defendants should submit their findings outlined in the order by June 17, 2019. The core discovery will be limited only to valsartan medications and not losartan or irbesartan products. Any recall defendants failing to submit the findings should inform the court about their intention by May 27. A telephonic conference will be held on May 8, at 3:00 p.m., to finalize the terms of a Discovery Confidentiality Order, followed by an in-person conference on May 29 to finalize the parties’ Profile Forms and Short Form Complaints, as well as an Order regarding the parties’ group organization and leadership.
The recall began last year after carcinogenic nitrosamines were discovered in active pharmaceuticals ingredients manufactured by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. which was due to some alteration in its production methods. Research shows nitrosamines are linked to gastrointestinal tract cancers, including colon cancer, stomach cancer, and esophageal cancer. Also, nitrosamines may cause liver cancer, kidney cancer, and pancreatic cancer. There are 50 valsartan lawsuits pending in the federal litigation underway in New Jersey. The proceeding involves over 40 valsartan recall defendants, including Zhejiang Huahai, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Mylan NV, and CVS Health Co.
