Nearly 600,000 Ventolin asthma inhalers were recalled because they can leak. The defective inhalers might fail to deliver enough medication to stop an asthma attack in an emergency.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Ventolin inhaler induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured because your asthma inhaler did not work, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Ventolin Inhaler Recall
GlaxoSmithKline recalled 593,000 Ventolin asthma inhalers in March 2017 because they can leak and fail to deliver the medication. The recall was designated “Class II” because GSK said it was unlikely to cause severe injuries, but people with asthma can die if their inhaler does not work in an emergency.
The following Ventolin HFA 200D inhalers were recalled:
- Lot #6ZP9848, expiration date “03/18”
- Lot #6ZP0003, expiration date “04/18”
- Lot #6ZP9944, expiration date “04/18”
What is the Problem?
Ventolin inhalers were recalled because they can leak and fail to deliver medication. The defect was discovered when GSK received an elevated number of reports of “bulges” on the plastic wrapper, indicating the canister was leaking the propellant gas that sprays out the medication. The risk depends on the size of the leak and how long it has been leaking.
What is the Risk?
When an asthma inhaler does not work, patients might have to seek emergency medical attention. Untreated asthma attacks can be deadly, so it is a good idea to have a backup. Defective asthma inhalers may not deliver any medication and patients may not know there is a problem until it fails.
Untreated Asthma Attack Complications
- Death
- Extreme breathing problems
- Hospitalization
- Loss of consciousness
- Low oxygen levels
- Lung collapse
- Organ failure
- Pneumonia (lung infection)
- Respiratory failure
- Skin and lips turn blue (cyanosis)
- Severe chest pain
- Tissue death (necrosis) in lungs
What is Ventolin?
The Ventolin HFA (albuterol sulfate) inhaler was approved by the FDA in 2001 for patients 4 years and older. It is used to prevent bronchospasm in people with conditions like asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
How Much Medicine Gets Into the Lungs?
Ventolin is a fixed-dose asthma inhaler. When working properly, it delivers up to 200 sprays, with 90 micrograms (mcg) of albuterol per spray. Albuterol is the medication that opens up airways in the lungs.
Unfortunately, studies show that asthma inhalers only get about 40% of the medicine into the lungs with perfect use. The amount drops to about 7% in real-world situations when people are actually having an asthma attack.
The amount drops even lower for leaky inhalers. Even tiny leaks from an inhaler can significantly decrease the amount of medication that gets into the lungs. It can mean the difference between life and death.
Can I Get a Refund?
No. GSK is not offering refunds and consumers should not return the inhaler. The recall was only issued at the pharmacy level. For more information, you can call GSK’s customer service center at 1-888-825-5249. According to a company spokesman:
“There is possible risk that the affected inhalers could potentially not deliver the stated number of actuations. We continue to investigate the issue in order to identify the root cause and implement appropriate corrective and preventative actions.”
Do I have a Ventolin Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Ventolin inhaler induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know was injured because your asthma inhaler did not work, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Medical Device Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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