Any news on Erfa...?

STTM reports that "there have been some bad batches of Erfa". However, I think all pills are manufactured in the same place, using the same machines, so how can just some batches be bad, unless the raw material differs drastically from batch to batch...?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Two points:

The Erfa company moved manufacture from (I think) Belgium to Spain.

There are numerous things that could affect potency of a sensitive medicine like thyroid hormone. They include, as you say, the raw materials, but also:

Pressure of forming tablets;

Light exposure;

Oxygen exposure;

Temperature.

Remember that the Teva product in the UK was found not to be delivering its claimed dose of levothyroxine. Looks like that was a change in the dextrin ingredient - actually, an unauthorised change - which seemed to bind some of the levothyroxine so it could not be absorbed as well. A relatively subtle factor - after all, the actual levothyroxine content seemed to be fine - but critical.

We, as outsiders, have no real idea about what seemed to affect Erfa.

[Glynisrose]

Who told you that? A doctor? They tell lies. There is no difference in the batches, each is tested to make sure it contains what it should.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Glynisrose]

Not at all sure who you are replying to - me or the original poster?

Regarding the Teva issue, there was sufficient detail in the MHRA report. Testing of the elvothyroxine content did not identify an issue. It contained what it should but failed to deliver that to the people taking it.

Regarding the Erfa issue, there have been numerous complaints by people taking it.

[Hidden in reply to Glynisrose]

From STTM:

NOTE: many patients worldwide reported that suddenly, their latest batch of Erfa was resulting in a return of awful symptoms in 2014, even though they had done great for years. There were enough reports of this problem that we concluded that there were, in fact, some bad batches out there. By 2015, we are possibly seeing those bad batches disappear hopefully.

Hence my question: have those bad batches disappeared or not...?