Xanax anti-anxiety medication recalled on fears of contamination, infection risk

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Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc., makers of Alprazolam, has recalled a batch of the anti-anxiety medicine also known by its brand name Xanax for fear of contamination and the slight risk of an infection.

But the company won’t say why.

“This lot is being recalled due to the potential presence of foreign substance,” the Mylan said in a statement Friday. “Clinical impact from the foreign material, if present, is expected to be rare, but the remote risk of infection to a patient cannot be ruled out. To date, Mylan has not received any adverse events related to this batch.”

The pills in question are 0.5 milligram strength, packaged in bottles of 500, the company said, and were distributed in the U.S. in July and August of this year.

Mylan urged its wholesalers to “immediately examine your inventory, quarantine and discontinue distribution of these lots,” it said in the statement. In addition, they should notify any retailers they have sold to and send their information to the company so that they can be notified of affected batches.

The recall affected lot number is 8082708, with an expiration date of September 2020.

Neither Mylan, nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which cross-posted the voluntary recall notice, provided more information on what the contamination and risk of infection might be.

• nydailynews