UPDATE 2-FDA probes diabetes drug metformin for carcinogen NDMA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether the diabetes drug metformin had unsafe levels of a cancer-causing chemical and will recommend recalls as appropriate, the agency said on Thursday. The move is part of the agency’s broader push to investigate a range of drugs for the presence of the carcinogen, known as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), with popular heartburn medication Zantac being recalled this year for fear it contained NDMA. Health Canada said in a separate statement that it was not aware of any metformin products in Canada containing NDMA above acceptable limits, but was working closely with international regulatory partners on its assessment of the issue.