Strides Pharma’s recall of benzene-contaminated testosterone gel raises serious concerns for patient safety and Stride’s business practices. Benzene causes cancer like leukemia and blood disorders, among other health effects. Benzene is so hazardous that it has been ranked as one of the worst carcinogens for more than forty years by health institutions like the International Agency for Research on Cancer, OSHA, and the FDA.
For decades, the FDA has prohibited drugmakers from using benzene to manufacture drugs. And in recent years, the FDA has overseen more than 100 recalls for benzene contamination in drugs and other regulated products that Americans put in or on their bodies. According to the FDA, the use of benzene in drugs is “unacceptable” and there is no tolerable level of benzene in drugs like testosterone gel.
Yet Strides Pharma recently admitted to regulators that the company has been using a substance called Carbomer 940 to make Strides Pharma testosterone gel. Carbomer 940 is literally made with benzene. According to the FDA, Carbomer 940 can contain benzene levels as high as 5,000 parts per million.
This is not Stride Pharma’s first major quality failure. The company has repeatedly been warned about poor manufacturing practices and received a warning letter for destroying manufacturing records.
Patients who bought Strides Pharma testosterone gel affected by the recall are entitled to seek compensation. Contact the class action specialists at The Block Firm if you were affected.
