The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising people who use the long-acting insulin detemir (brand name Levemir) to check their insulin vials to ensure that none are from a potentially dangerous batch that appeared on the U.S. market last week after having been stolen.
At least one of the stolen vials, which number roughly 129,000 in all, surfaced at a medical center in the Houston area. Because these vials did not go through the typical distribution channels, they may not have been stored and handled properly. The FDA has received one report of an adverse reaction resulting from use of one of the stolen vials.
To determine whether the insulin you are using comes from an affected lot, check the lot number on the side of the box of insulin or on the side of the vial. Insulin from lots XZF0036, XZF0037, and XZF0038 should not be used and should be replaced with insulin from another lot of Levemir.
For information about how to handle insulin vials from the stolen lots, contact the Novo Nordisk Customer Care Center at (800) 727-6500. And to learn more about the stolen vials, see the press release from Novo Nordisk.
Thank you for such up to date info as the Levimir Insulin info. Have passed the website onto others re checking lot numbers of possibly stolen insulin. This is wonderful service, keep up such alerts. TU
Posted by murray | Jun 25, 2009 at 10:32 amThanks for the information. I have a niece that uses this insulin so it is great knowing the information. We will check her vials of insulin.
Posted by JULIE | Jun 26, 2009 at 11:02 am