Food, drugs, devices › Sandoz Incorporated

Drug recall: Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) tablets, USP, 0.15 mg/0.03 mg, packaged in 91 day regimen per unit cart

FDA enforcement event 65877 · Class III · initiated 7 Aug 2013 · status Terminated · terminated 7 Jul 2014

DrugVoluntary: Firm initiated1 product recordBroomfield, CO

Sandoz Incorporated (Broomfield, CO) initiated this drug recall on 7 Aug 2013; FDA lists 1 product record under event 65877, classified Class III.

FDA defines Class III as a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences. 26% of the 370 drug enforcement events initiated in 2013 carry the same class.

Status: Terminated, terminated 7 Jul 2014. Initiation: voluntary: firm initiated. Sandoz Incorporated has 15 enforcement events on this register, with a median of 1 product record per event.

Recall classification reflects the relative degree of health hazard. Text in quotation marks is FDA's. openFDA export dated 28 Sep 2026.

Recalling firm

Sandoz Incorporated, Broomfield, CO.

Reason for recall

"Contraceptive tablets out of sequence: Contraceptive tablets out of sequence: Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets USP 0.15mg/0.03mg) is voluntarily being recalled due to inactive placebo tablets incorrectly placed in Week 9, and active tablets placed in Week 13 on the blister card"

Distribution

"Nationwide"

Product records

Recall number	Product	Quantity	Class	Status	Report date
D-854-2013	Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol) tablets, USP, 0.15 mg/0.03 mg, packaged in 91 day regimen per unit carton, 3 Unit Cartons x 91 tablets per box, Rx only, Manufactured by Laboratorios Leon Farma S.A., Spain for Sandoz Inc., Princeton, NJ 08540, NDC 0781-5584-36	8, 681 unit cartons	Class III	Terminated	14 Aug 2013

Context

26%of 2013 drug events are Class III370 events that year

1product record in this eventfirm median: 1

15events on this register for the firm

Other enforcement events for Sandoz Incorporated

Initiated	Product (first record)	Type	Class	Records
6 Apr 2018	Triamterene and Hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, USP, 75 mg/50 mg, 500-count bottles, Rx only, Manufactured by Sandoz, Inc.,	Drug	Class III	1
16 Jun 2017	Amitriptyline HCl Tablets, USP 25 mg, Packaged in a)100-count bottles (NDC 0781-1487-01) and b) 1000-count bottles ( NDC	Drug	Class III	1
22 Dec 2016	Nadolol Tablets, USP, 40mg, packaged in 1000-count bottle, Rx Only, Manufactured by Sandoz Inc., Princeton, NJ 08540, ND	Drug	Class II	1
5 Dec 2014	Fluoxetine Capsules USP, 20 mg, 100 count bottle, Rx Only, 100 Capsules, Sandoz Inc Princeton, NJ 08540 NDC 0781-2822-01	Drug	Class III	1
25 Jul 2014	Alprazolam Tablets, USP, 0.25mg, Rx only, 1000 tablets, Sandoz Inc., Princeton, NJ --- NDC 0781-1061-10	Drug	Class II	1
22 Oct 2013	Tacrolimus Capsules, USP, 0.5 mg, 100 capsules/bottle, Rx only, Manufactured in India by Sandoz Private ltd. for Sandoz	Drug	Class II	1
25 Sep 2013	Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets, USP, 200 mg, Rx Only, 100 Tablets per bottle, Sandoz Inc., Princeton NJ, 08540, NDC	Drug	Class III	1
21 Jun 2013	Estarylla (Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol) Tablets. USP, 0.25mg/0.035mg, 3X28 tablets per carton. Rx only, Manufactu	Drug	Class II	1
30 May 2013	Cefazolin, injection, 1 gram per vial, 25 vials per box, sterile, Rx only, single-use vial, Manufactured in Austria by S	Drug	Class II	1
20 May 2013	Methotrexate Injection, USP, Preservative-Free, 1 g/40 mL (25 mg/mL), 40 mL Single Dose Vial, Rx only, Manufactured for:	Drug	Class I	1

All 15 events for Sandoz Incorporated

Questions and answers

Why was this drug recalled?

FDA's record gives the reason for recall as: "Contraceptive tablets out of sequence: Contraceptive tablets out of sequence: Introvale (levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol tablets USP 0.15mg/0.03mg) is voluntarily being recalled due to inactive placebo tablets incorrectly placed in Week 9, and active tablets placed in Week 13 on the blister card"

What does Class III mean?

FDA classifies recalls by relative degree of health hazard. Class III is a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.

Where was the product distributed?

FDA's distribution pattern field reads: "Nationwide"

Is the recall still ongoing?

FDA lists the status as Terminated; the termination date is 7 Jul 2014. "Terminated" means FDA has determined that all reasonable efforts to remove or correct the product have been made.

Where does this data come from?

openFDA enforcement reports (food, drug and device), CC0, export dated 28 Sep 2026. Text in quotation marks is FDA's. The FDA enforcement report linked above is authoritative.

Provenance

Source: openFDA drug enforcement reports (CC0), export dated 28 Sep 2026; records grouped by FDA event number. The class shown for the event is the most severe class among its records. Errors in processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections.