HEALTH experts have distributed a safety alert over the use of the cancer drug Herceptin.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has distributed the "special alert" to health practitioners across the UK after 20 cracked vials of the drug were found in hospitals in the UK, France, Germany and Ireland.

Herceptin was approved for use around Europe six years ago and is authorised for the treatment of patients with breast cancer.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) in consultation with Roche, the drug's producer, decided against a recall following a risk-benefit analysis believing it would compromise patient treatment.

Health staff have been told to inspect all vials of the drug in their possession for any cracks and advised to send them back to Roche.

The EMEA says that there is a risk that cracked vials may lead to a loss in sterility, which can cause infections in patients.

Vials packaged between March and November this year are affected by the defect and there is concern that they will be in circulation.

In most of the 20 cases reported, the vials had broken when the flip-top cap was removed.

In two cases, only cracks were reported.

Following the reports, the company inspected 13,000 packaged vials, and found that 1 in 1000 had a cracked bottleneck.

Roche has said it would ensure that each hospital reports its findings and does not use any affected vials found.