Cold and flu medicine Fervex withdrawn in Romania after discovery of harmful bacteria in a batch in France

After the discovery of a bacterial load in cold and flu remedy Fervex in France triggered a recall of a batch of the medicine, Fervex has also been taken off the shelves in Romania. “Fervex has been withdrawn from pharmacies [in Romania] after the discovery in France of a microbial load in the medicine and the European Medicines Agency ordered a recall of all Fervex products from the market,” the President of Romania's National Medicine's Agency (ANM) Marius Savu told local news agency Mediafax. Reports in France indicate that the bacteria enterococcus faecalis, present in the human gut and human faeces and potentially harmful to health, was found in a batch of raspberry flavored Fervex granules. The European Medicines Agency chose to order the withdrawal of all similar products as a safety precaution. Raspberry Fervex is not sold in Romania, according to Marius Savu, but the European Medicines Agency call to withdraw all similar products has been heeded. US pharmaceutical firm Bristol-Myers Squibb manufactures Fervex at the Upsa d'Agen production facility in Lot et Garonne, France, and the company has promised to investigate the matter and provide more information to the public as soon as it is available. Another medicine produced the same firm has been withdrawn in France; the bronchitis treatment Mucomyst, according to French newspaper Liberation, but the Romanian media has not mentioned the medicine, suggesting it is not sold locally. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: pharmacie-esposito-tabary.com)