FDA awaits Actavis permanent injunction

January 16th, 2009 by Emily Marsh

The drug company Actavis, producer of the heart drug Digitek, agreed to close several plants in New Jersey and will not resume operations at these plants until U.S. standards for testing and manufacturing have been met by the . According to Pharma Tech Live, the has filed a consent degree, banning from distributing drugs in Totowa and Little Falls, N.J. The agreement also gives the the right to close the plants if violations persist and to fine the company $15,000 a day afterward.

The filed an action against Dec. 23, which was signed by on Dec. 29. The awaits a permanent injunction against this company. The declares and its officers have been manufacturing and distributing “unapproved” drugs in the U.S. The promotes pharmacists to stop dispensing unapproved Digitek drugs.  The strongly encourages consumers to discuss alternative plans with their doctors.

Janet Woodcock, director of  ’s center for Drug Evaluation and research, stated, “The will not allow manufacturers to put the public’s health at risk. These unapproved new drugs have not undergone review for safety and efficacy and may pose potential health risks.”

John LaRocca, ’s chief legal officer, said, “We have been working with the to address compliance issues at the Totowa facilities. We have an entirely new management team in place at Little Falls, [New Jersey], and have invested significantly to reinforce systems and procedures intended to better ensure robust, sustainable compliance. This agreement with the agency is a positive step and is one we have looked forward to reaching. We will continue to work with the to show that we have addressed all of the agency’s compliance and manufacturing issues.”

  • MARGO MANUEL
    My name is margo manuel my mother died april 15 2008 she had every sytem that was mention in the recall and had a sudden death . I think we have to more educatied on what is going on in our bodies .I AND MY MOTHER LIVED ALONG .I GIVE HER THIS DRUG FOR 2 YEARS .
  • Hello Ms. Manuel,

    I am so sorry to hear about your mother's death. We appreciate your
    sharing your painful experience to hopefully educate others and, as you
    said, be aware of what is going on in our bodies. God bless you and your
    family.

    Wendi L. Lewis
blog comments powered by Disqus

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.