Extended-Release Drugs Get Extra Scrutiny in U.S. Quality Focus

Extended-release therapies, taken by many Americans to moderate a drug’s effect over a stretch of time, face stricter scrutiny from U.S. regulators questioning whether the therapies work as intended.

While such medicine from companies like Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Wockhardt Ltd. has been withdrawn or recalled before, modified-release drugs are more difficult to test and may require different standards than regular pills. Typically, the drugs use time-release technology to slow the products’ absorption by the body.