Troubled Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation Unit, Bedford Laboratories Recalls Leukemia Medicine

An Ohio drugmaker has recalled three production lots of cytarabine, a drug that is critical in treating leukemia but which has been in short supply because of previous recalls, the Food and Drug Administration disclosed Thursday. Bedford Laboratories issued the voluntary recall in February because of concerns about sterility. It said no side effects have been reported, but an investigation of the manufacturing area found there was an elevated risk that the sterility of the drug could not be assured. The three production lots expire from March to May of 2014. Cytarabine is a popular chemotherapy drug that is irreplaceable in fighting certain types of leukemia. Several other manufacturers stopped making the drug because of quality problems or a shortage of raw materials, which created a shortage of cytarabine.