What are some examples of large-scale drug recalls

The most well-known drug recall in Canada was thalidomide. Although this drug was known to cause severe birth defects, it received approval for sale in Canada and recall notices were issued months after similar recalls had been introduced in European countries. Other more recent well-known and wide-ranging drug recalls include blood pressure medications containing sartan (due to the presence of a cancer-causing impurity) and Vioxx and Bextra (arthritic drugs that were linked to fatal heart attacks, strokes and serious skin conditions).