A nationwide recall of a common heart-failure medication is the kind of news that can frighten patients — so the first thing to know is what doctors stress: do not stop taking your heart medicine without talking to your physician.

What was recalled

Amgen, the California-based drugmaker, is recalling multiple lots of two drugs: Corlanor (ivabradine), prescribed to lower the risk of hospitalization in adults with stable chronic heart failure, and Sensipar (cinacalcet), used for some patients with chronic kidney disease, The Hill reported. The affected products were distributed across the United States over several years, and the recall covers more than 900,000 bottles in total.

Why

Amgen began the recall in early June after finding what regulators described as "an unexpected foreign matter" in a reserve sample from one production lot, and pulled all in-date lots that had passed through the same packaging area as a precaution. Neither Amgen nor the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has publicly identified what the foreign material was. The FDA classified the action as a Class II recall — a category for products that may cause temporary or reversible health effects, or where the risk of serious harm is considered remote. Amgen has said the patient-safety risk is low and that it has received no related complaints.

What patients should do

Crucially, neither the company nor the FDA has told patients to stop taking the medications — and stopping a heart-failure drug abruptly can be dangerous. If you take Corlanor or Sensipar:

  • Do not stop your medication without first speaking to your cardiologist or prescribing doctor.
  • Check the lot number on your bottle against the full list of recalled lots posted on the FDA's drug-recall page. Your pharmacist can help you confirm whether your bottle is affected.
  • If your bottle is on the list, ask your pharmacy about a replacement.

Patients with questions can also call the FDA at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332).

About the drug

Corlanor (ivabradine) treats stable chronic heart failure by gently slowing the heart's natural pacemaker rhythm, lowering heart rate without reducing blood pressure — a different mechanism from common beta-blockers. Because it is taken on an ongoing basis by patients with serious heart conditions, specialists emphasize continuity of care: the safe response to a recall like this one is to verify your specific bottle and consult your doctor or pharmacist, not to interrupt treatment on your own.