WASHINGTON, June 15 (UPI) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said thousands of stolen vials of long-acting Levemir insulin are being sold in the U.S. market.
The FDA said 129,000 vials of the insulin were stolen and might not have been stored and handled properly, making them potentially dangerous for patients to use. The federal agency said it has received one report of a patient who suffered an adverse event due to poor control of glucose levels after using one of the stolen vials.
Officials are advising patients who use Levemir insulin to check their supply to determine if they have any vials from lots XZF0036, XZF0037 or XZF0038. The lot number is located on the side of the box of insulin and also on the side of the vials.
If the insulin is found to be from one of those lots, it should not be used but, instead, replaced with a vial of Levemir insulin from another lot. If patients must switch to another brand of insulin for any reason, the FDA said they should first contact their healthcare provider as another insulin product might require adjustments in dosing.
Patients with question can contact the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk Inc., at 800-727-6500.