FDA pushes metformin recalls for 5 drugmakers after carcinogen contamination

After the FDA identified a likely carcinogen in samples of the broadly used diabetes med metformin, recalls appeared likely. Now it's official.

The FDA said Thursday it had asked five metformin manufacturers to pull their extended-release metformin products, after pushing recalls of heartburn med Zantac and "sartan" blood pressure drugs for the same reason. A likely human carcinogen, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), was discovered in samples of all three.