Alere InRatio II test strip recall notice update May 6th, 2014

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RobThatsMe

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Hi, I just found this on the internet released today, May 6th, 2014


http://www.marketwatch.com/story/al...l-test-strips-2014-05-06?reflink=MW_news_stmp

WALTHAM, Mass., May 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Alere Inc. ALR -0.85% has initiated a voluntary Class 1 recall in the U.S. of the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strips (PN 99008G2). This action is a result of complaints of patients who had a therapeutic or near therapeutic INR with the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strip but a significantly higher INR (outside of therapeutic range) when performed by a central laboratory.

Alere has received nine serious adverse event reports, three of which described bleeding associated with patient deaths. The reason for the adverse event reports was significantly different test results between the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strip and the local laboratory plasma INR test. The Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strip results were between 3.1 – 12.2 INR units lower than the laboratory result.

The root cause for this issue has not yet been determined; therefore Alere cannot determine the patient conditions or circumstances that may contribute to the discrepancy. Given these reports, Alere is concerned that the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strips may report an inaccurately low INR result. Therefore, Alere has notified customers of the discrepant results and has advised them to immediately STOP using the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strips and use an alternative method to perform PT/INR testing, such as a plasma-based laboratory INR test, an alternative Alere product, or an alternative point-of-care monitoring system from a different manufacturer. Alere has requested that customers return unused product to the company.

Alere will transition customers from the current Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strip to the Alere INRatio PT/INR Test Strip (PN 100139). The voluntary recall does not include the Alere INRatio PT/INR Test Strip (PN 100071), which is utilized by patient self-testers for home INR monitoring.

As part of its commitment to ensuring the safety of patients, Alere has reported these complaints to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is conducting a thorough investigation into these events.

Customers with questions regarding this recall or requiring replacement product can contact Alere at 844-292-5373. For additional information on the recall customers should go to www.inr-care.com .

Adverse events or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

• Complete and submit the report Online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm


• Regular Mail or Fax Download form www.fda.gov/MedWatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178.


This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About the Alere INRatio®2 PT/INR Professional Monitoring System The Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Monitoring System, consisting of the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Monitor and the Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Test Strip, is intended for use in the quantitative determination of International Normalized Ratio (INR) in fresh capillary whole blood to monitor the effect of warfarin on clotting time by health care professionals. The Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Monitoring System is intended for use outside of the body (in vitro diagnostic use). The Alere INRatio2 PT/INR Professional Monitoring System is not intended to be used for screening purposes and is not intended for use in patients who are transitioning from heparin treatment to warfarin therapy.

About Alere By developing new capabilities in near-patient diagnosis, monitoring and health information technology, Alere enables individuals to take charge of improving their health and quality of life at home. Alere's global leading products and services, as well as its new product development efforts, focus on infectious disease, toxicology, cardiology and diabetes. Alere is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. For more information regarding Alere, please visit www.alere.com .

SOURCE Alere Inc.

Copyright (C) 2014 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
 
This recall was reported a few weeks ago on the other 'testing' forum.

There may still be a bit of confusion about exactly which InRatio 2 strips are part of the recall. Apparently, there's a different part number (and different manufacturing standards?) for the strips that are being sold to self-testers than there is for the clinics and clinicians.
 
This recall was reported a few weeks ago on the other 'testing' forum.

There may still be a bit of confusion about exactly which InRatio 2 strips are part of the recall. Apparently, there's a different part number (and different manufacturing standards?) for the strips that are being sold to self-testers than there is for the clinics and clinicians.

Correct.... but yesterday it was finally put into a "Press Release" things must be getting a little "hot in the kitchen" for them.
 
I can sort of understand why they didn't to the release. If the batch that was of concern was ONLY available to professionals, and ONLY available through distributors, the recall may have been somewhat easier (contact the distributor, have the distributor contact its customers, etc.), than a broader recall of ALL InRatio 2 strips. Issuing a recall document to the FDA (or whichever agencies are concerned with this) may have been deemed adequate.

I guess that the word getting out - and some confusion by self-testers - may have required the press release, and probably created a lot more confusion as a result. But now Alere can chastise all home testers who call for advice and clarification that they should not be buying their strips on eBay or through the gray market, although they obviously make strips aimed at home testers.
 
I may be wrong but I get the impression that ONLY doctor office and professional INR clinics have been using the new strips (except for those of us who have been getting strips thru the gray market) and the Alere home testers are still using the old strips. I returned my newer design strips to my ebay source for credit and have noticed that the INRatio strips seem to have gone up substantially in price. I have talked with a couple of INR self-testing centers and can go on a "legal program" for a copay of +/- $5/test......anybody want to buy a 1-1/2 year old INRatio2 for $150? Send me a PM.
 
I just got an email from Amazon, where I once bough some strips, with a link to the FDA which detailed this recall. I have the same strips but haven't been able to find the same PN number on my box. These strips have agreed with my lab draws to 0.1 and in one test, read 0.6 higher.
 
If your individual strips and box do not have a green strip on it, then they should be ok.

The Recall is for "All" strip packaging that says INRatio2, and also
REF 99008G2 which is on the box of strips.

The old strips, "non INRatio2" are GOOD.
So if your individual strip packages do not say INRatio2 in the upper left side, then they are OK!

Also, the Box Ref numbers that are OK are:
REF 0100071
REF 0100139

Go to this site....

http://www.inr-care.com/


Then click onto the link at the bottom that says, "Customer Letter sent out April 16th......"
This will show you examples of the recall on the last page of the pdf file.
 
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