{"id":480604,"date":"2026-06-16T19:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/480604\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T19:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T19:30:16","slug":"popular-antidepressant-recalled-for-potential-contamination-from-a-carcinogen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/480604\/","title":{"rendered":"Popular Antidepressant Recalled For Potential Contamination from a Carcinogen"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Nearly 370,000 bottles of Duloxetine were recalled due to potential contamination with a cancer-causing compound<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The recall follows a similar incident in 2024 when more than 7,000 bottles were pulled for potential nitrosamine contamination<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">PEOPLE has reached out to distributor Breckenridge Pharmaceutical Inc. for comment<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Thousands of bottles of a popular <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/health\/fda-says-there-is-a-shortage-of-antidepressant-zoloft-and-generic-version-amid-coronavirus\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:antidepressant;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;antidepressant&quot;}\" class=\"link \">antidepressant<\/a> have been recalled as they may contain high levels of a cancer-causing compound.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Nearly 370,000 bottles of Duloxetine, a prescription medication used to treat <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/health\/whats-the-difference-between-anxiety-and-depression\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:depression;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;depression&quot;}\" class=\"link \">depression<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/health\/5-tips-to-help-manage-work-related-anxiety\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:anxiety;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;anxiety&quot;}\" class=\"link \">anxiety<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/woman-says-she-has-nerve-and-muscle-damage-after-using-microwave-during-lightning-storm-11796441\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:nerve damage;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;nerve damage&quot;}\" class=\"link \">nerve damage<\/a>, have been voluntarily recalled, according to a report from <a href=\"https:\/\/fox8.com\/news\/antidepressant-recalled-over-potential-cancer-causing-substance\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Fox 8.;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Fox 8.&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Fox 8.<\/a>\u00a0 The pills may contain the &#8220;presence of N-nitroso-duloxetine impurity above FDA recommended interim limit,&#8221; per an alert from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accessdata.fda.gov\/scripts\/ires\/index.cfm?Product=220846\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:U.S. Food and Drug Administration.;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;U.S. Food and Drug Administration.&quot;}\" class=\"link \">U.S. Food and Drug Administration.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Stock image of bottles of DuloxetineCredit: Dhiraj Singh\/Bloomberg via Getty\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1a54d11ee186f5346080f3c0602914fe.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Stock image of bottles of Duloxetine<br \/>Credit: Dhiraj Singh\/Bloomberg via Getty<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">N-nitroso-duloxetine is a compound that&#8217;s &#8220;suspected of causing cancer,&#8221; according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/compound\/169490797#section=Safety-and-Hazards\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:National Library of Medicine;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;National Library of Medicine&quot;}\" class=\"link \">National Library of Medicine<\/a>, which notes it&#8217;s &#8220;toxic if swallowed.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">However, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pharmacy.ca.gov\/about\/recall_alerts\/100925_breckenridge.pdf\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:California State Board of Pharmacy;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;California State Board of Pharmacy&quot;}\" class=\"link \">California State Board of Pharmacy<\/a> says that exposure doesn&#8217;t immediately cause cancer, explaining &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/blood-pressure-medicine-prazosin-hydrochloride-recalled-due-to-cancer-causing-chemical-contamination-11841751\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:nitrosamines;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;nitrosamines&quot;}\" class=\"link \">nitrosamines<\/a> are common in water and foods, including cured and grilled meats, dairy products, and vegetables. Everyone is exposed to some level of nitrosamines. These impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels over long periods of time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The recall is classified as a Class II recall, meaning, &#8220;a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.&#8221; This is the agency&#8217;s second most serious classification of recall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">PEOPLE has reached out to Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc., which initiated the recall, for comment. Per the California State Board of Pharmacy, the distributor was &#8220;not aware of reports of adverse events that have been assessed to be related to this recall.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The recall impacts nearly 370,000 bottles of medication. Impacted lot codes include: 241074C, 240317, 240318, 240315C, 240373C, 240370C, 240375C, 240413C, 240316, 232311, 240978C, 241052C, and 241180C.<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"Stock image of a woman reaching into her medicine cabinetCredit: Getty\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"720\" height=\"960\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bf06ec33a733ed9c5a4b43a66b8c3841.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Stock image of a woman reaching into her medicine cabinet<br \/>Credit: Getty<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/forms.dotdashmeredith.com\/people-news-inline\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:PEOPLE&#039;s free daily newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE&#039;&quot;}\" class=\"link \">PEOPLE&#8217;s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/drugs-supplements\/duloxetine-oral-route\/description\/drg-20067247\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Mayo Clinic;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Mayo Clinic&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Mayo Clinic<\/a> explains, Duloxetine is a type of selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SSNRIs) which works by increasing serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Along with depression and anxiety, it&#8217;s often prescribed to treat <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/health\/olivia-munn-diagnosed-fibromyalgia\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:fibromyalgia;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;fibromyalgia&quot;}\" class=\"link \">fibromyalgia<\/a> and nerve pain associated with diabetes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This is the second recall of Duloxetine tied to the same potentially carcinogenic compound. In October 2024, more than 7,000 bottles <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/fda-recall-antidepressant-duloxetine-8732631\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:were recalled;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;were recalled&quot;}\" class=\"link \">were recalled<\/a> for potential nitrosamine contamination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/popular-antidepressant-recalled-for-potential-contamination-from-a-carcinogen-11998113\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:People;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;People&quot;}\" class=\"link \">People<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEED TO KNOW Nearly 370,000 bottles of Duloxetine were recalled due to potential contamination with a cancer-causing compound&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":480605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[241695,241691,241692,241696,40176,241693,525,134,420,524,118423,241694,111,139,69,144061],"class_list":["post-480604","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-breckenridge-pharmaceutical","tag-breckenridge-pharmaceutical-inc","tag-california-state-board-of-pharmacy","tag-cancer-causing","tag-contamination","tag-duloxetine","tag-fda","tag-health","tag-inc","tag-medication","tag-national-library-of-medicine","tag-nerve-damage","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-prescription-medication"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=480604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/480604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/480605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=480604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=480604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=480604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}