A critical shortage of doxorubicin hydrochloride 50 mg powder for injection has been reported to the Food and Drug Administration.
Doxorubicin is approved to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, breast cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, neuroblastoma, and other cancer types.
To increase availability, the pharmaceutical company Hospira (a Pfizer company) is coordinating with the FDA to import the drug from Ahmedabad, India, where it is manufactured by Zydus Hospira Oncology Private Ltd. at an FDA-inspected facility that is in compliance with current good manufacturing practice requirements.
“It is important to note that there are substantive differences in the format and content of the labeling between the U.S.-approved doxorubicin hydrochloride for injection, USP and the Hospira Limited’s doxorubicin hydrochloride 50 mg powder for injection,” Hospira reported in a letter to health care providers.
To place an order or to get questions answered, contact Hospira directly by calling customer care at 1-877-946-7747 (Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Central time).
For clinical inquiries, contact Hospira Medical Communications at 1-800-615-0187 or email medcom@hospira.com.
According to the letter, adverse events or quality problems associated with use of this product should be reported by calling Hospira Global Complaint Management by phone, 1-800-441-4100; by sending an email to ProductComplaintsPP@hospira.com; or by submitting a report online to Medwatch.
On Twitter @jessnicolecraig