Combined blood pressure medication Blokium-Diu withdrawn from market

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The medication, which contains a combination of two antihypertensive drugs, has been found to have a defect

Raquel Merino

Malaga

Friday, 23 January 2026, 12:54

A quality defect found in a batch of the drug Blokium-Diu 100 mg/25 mg tablets has forced its withdrawal from the market, according to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS).

The drug contains a combination of two antihypertensive drugs and is used in patients whose blood pressure is not controlled by a single drug. One of the components (atenolol) belongs to the group of drugs called cardioselective beta-adrenergic blockers; the other component (chlorthalidone) is a diuretic (a drug that increases urine excretion by increasing the excretion of sodium and chloride).

During stability studies, several tablets of batch 3CP were confirmed to have "undetectable levels or significantly reduced concentrations of chlorthalidone", which may decrease their therapeutic efficacy. The atenolol content, however, is correct. As explained by the Aemps, this could result in a partial loss of therapeutic efficacy in patients ingesting tablets with undetectable or significantly reduced levels of chlorthalidone. In these circumstances, the expected diuretic effect would not occur and could affect the combined action of atenolol and chlorthalidone in the treatment of hypertension.

The affected presentations are Blokium-Diu 100 mg/25 mg 28 tablets, batch 3CP, CN: 964841, expiry date: 30/04/2027 and Blokium-Diu 100 mg/25 mg 56 tablets, batch 3CP, CN: 989996, expiry date: 30/04/2027. The root cause has been identified as a production error, and the defect has been limited to batch 3CP of the above mentioned presentations. Correct units of other batches are available in the laboratory.

The Aemps is asking distributors and pharmacies that have units of batch 3CP of the two affected presentations to return them to the laboratory through the usual channels. Patients, for their part, can replace their affected pack with another correct one and, if they notice any alteration in their treatment, they should see their doctor to have their condition assessed.