Blood thinning drug withdrawn from Australian market
Australian health authorities are recalling five batches of a common blood-thinning drug containing Heparin after they tested positive for a potentially dangerous contaminant.
The contaminant, found in the intravenous form of the drug, has been associated with a series of severe allergic reactions and deaths in the US, but the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration insists that the recall of the Heparin product in Australia is purely precautionary.
The product affected by the recall is Clexane, which is a form of Heparin that’s given as an injection under the skin. It’s important to note that all forms of intravenous Heparin in Australia have been tested for the contaminant and are free of the contaminant.