2 MILLION people have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals in contaminated ...

View
comments

At least two million people around the world have been exposed to cancer-causing chemicals that tainted blood pressure drugs made in China, the FDA said today.

More than one million of those affected are in the US, which heavily relies on China for drug ingredients. 

Last summer, it emerged scores of widely-prescribed drugs for heart failure and hypertension - including valsartan, losartan and irbesartan - had dangerously high levels of recognized carcinogens NDEA and NDMA, far above the US legal limit. 

It prompted a global recall that's spanned seven months - and only now, the FDA is releasing details on how it happened and how many were affected.

Releasing its findings on Friday, the FDA downplayed the exposure, insisted that - despite finding levels of carcinogens above the legal limit - the risk of developing cancer is not high, comparing it to cancerous byproducts that emerge when you grill meat.

However, health policy experts say the situation is much more concerning than regulators are willing to concede - for the millions put at risk and exposing America's lopsided relationship with China.