Drug makers recalled blood pressure medicine for having potential cancer-causing chemical, FDA

Two U.S. drugmakers are recalling more than a half-million bottles of the blood pressure medication prazosin hydrochloride for possibly containing a cancer-causing chemical, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA and Amerisource Health Services issued voluntary nationwide recalls earlier this month of more than 580,000 bottles of the blood pressure medication, according to the FDA, the Associated Press reported Friday.

Prazosin is prescribed by doctors to help lower blood pressure, and sometimes for people with post-traumatic stress disorder who have nightmares and other sleep disturbances.

The FDA said that it gave the affected lots of the drug a Class II risk classification last week because some of the recalled medication may have nitrosamine impurities that are considered potentially cancer-causing. These impurities can form during the manufacture or storage of a drug.