The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has announced that a batch of potentially faulty EpiPens – which are used to treat severe allergic reactions – was distributed in Singapore but has since been recalled. The EpiPens came under the spotlight last week, when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer was accused of failing to investigate hundreds of complaints about defective EpiPens, including cases where patients had died.
HSA have since responded to queries that a batch of the affected EpiPens had been distributed in Singapore, but they were recalled back in April by the local distributor, Apex Pharma Marketing. Some people overseas had complained that the epinephrine had leaked out of the device, meaning that there was no drug left when patients needed it. In other cases, the injectors did not work properly.
The HSA said it had not received any local reports of EpiPens failing to work. It added that the manufacturer has since taken measures to correct the root problem.