Glass particles in injectable drugs are extremely dangerous. If a glass particle is injected into a patient, there is no way of removing it. Glass particles that are injected, could reach a blood vessel, travel to various organs and block the blood vessel. Any blocked blood vessel could be fatal, due to blocking of blood flowing to the heart, brain or lungs. Glass is only one of the many particles that could be found in an injectable drug. Proper visual inspection is extremely important to follow. USP <790> and <1790> set guidelines to help reduce the amount of recalls in injectable drugs.
Glass particles were found in two lots of Veklury (Remdesivir). Gilead issued a nationwide recall on December 3rd, 2021 for those two lots. Veklury (Remdesivir) is used for the treatment of patients 12-years-old and older who are hospitalized for COVID-19. Distribution began in October 2021. Gilead notified its customers and distributors through air mail sent to hospital pharmacies, asking for them to return any left-over vials of the recalled lots.
