Does Metformin Smell?

Some patients stopped using metformin due to smell.
The New York Times (2/16, D6, Rabin) reports, "A report in this week's Annals of Internal Medicine says some patients have stopped using" metformin "because they think it smells like 'dead fish,' and pharmacists say they can identify it by its 'old locker-room sweat socks' odor." The authors of the report "said they hoped to raise awareness, and suggested offering patients extended-release forms of the drug, which are coated, or generic products that may agree with them more."
HealthDay (2/16, Gordon) adds that Bristol-Myers Squibb, "one of a number of companies that manufacture metformin," released a statement on metformin's odor, saying, "Bristol-Myers Squibb is aware that the inherent characteristics of metformin have been associated with a mild odor upon opening of the bottle, so these type of reports are not unexpected. It's important to note there has been no correlation between an odor and the efficacy of metformin." Reuters (2/16, Fox) also covered the story.