Ranbaxy Issues Drug Recall as It Preps for FDA Meeting

(MoneyWatch)  Ranbaxy continued its mission to embarrass itself as much as possible by issuing a recall for a skin infection treatment just as it expects a final meeting with the FDA on the drugs the agency banned Ranbaxy from selling in the U.S., Bloomberg reported. The recalled drug is 40-milligram Sotret isotretinoin capsules. Ranbaxy told Bloomberg the recall was "normal." Normal for Ranbaxy, that's for sure, the company where nothing ever goes right. To review, in addition to this most recent recall:

• The FDA banned imports from two Ranbaxy plants in 2008.
• It halted reviews of product from one Ranbaxy lab in 2009 after it discovered the company had faked data.
• Ranbaxy has also been the subject of attention from the Department of Justice and Congress.
• The ongoing turmoil has led to the exit and replacement of its chairman, and an uncomfortable series of meetings with the FDA.
• The company also missed a deadline for production of generic Nexium for AstraZeneca -- a deal Ranbaxy had forced out of the company after launching a patent challenge.

As BNET previously noted, the FDA has nonetheless continued to approve drugs from Ranbaxy. Normal, indeed.

• See also:
• Ranbaxy Fake Data Mess Reaches Walmart as Union Finds Protest Toehold
• AstraZeneca May Regret Ranbaxy Deal: It's One Fiasco After Another
• Ranbaxy Fakes Data But FDA Continues to Approve Its Drugs