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Zantac Cancer Lawsuits

If you’ve been watching the news, you may have seen that Zantac, one of the most popular antacid medications on the market, may be linked to cancer in many patients.

We have seen this before. Our firm is already in active litigation against Sanofi, one of the major pharmaceutical producers of Zantac, for another drug. In both cases, we strongly believe Sanofi knew of a problem with a drug and chose to mislead consumers about the problem.

We have a history of helping clients hold pharmaceutical companies accountable. If you believe that you may have developed cancer after taking Zantac, call our attorneys today so that we can investigate your options.

If you have a legitimate claim, then we want you to join our effort to ensure that there are meaningful consequences when drug companies act deceptively. Our attorneys will file a Zantac lawsuit on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled.

What is Zantac?

Zantac has been a very popular antacid drug that has been used for years in the treatment of heartburn, acid reflux, and other gastrointestinal conditions. Some even use Zantac to treat allergy symptoms.

The drug was first offered as a prescription drug in the 1980s by drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline. It went on to be available generically under the name ranitidine and as an over-the-counter medication.

Chemically, Zantac is known as ranitidine hydrochloride. Zantac belongs to a class of drugs known as H2 blockers, which essentially reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach.

Zantac is available by prescription and over the counter. It has been on the market since the 1980s. The average dosage varies between 75 and 150 mg tablets, though some patients take a once-daily 300 mg dosage of Zantac.

Over the years, GlaxoSmithKline, the drug’s original developer, and Sanofi, the drug’s current company, spent millions of dollars marketing Zantac aggressively to doctors and consumers as a safe and effective drug for heartburn.

Consequently, Zantac went on to become one of the top-selling drugs in history and is known for being the first drug to reach $1 billion in annual sales in the United States.

A Chemical in Zantac Has Now Been Linked to Cancer

Unfortunately, it is now known that Zantac contains a cancer-causing chemical called N-Nitrosodimethylamine, otherwise known as “NDMA.” NDMA has been a known carcinogen since the 1970s.

In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the World Health Organization all classify NDMA as a cancer-causing substance.

In September 2019, Zantac and its generic counterpart ranitidine were voluntarily pulled from shelves amid a public health warning by the FDA citing possible health risks from the drug.

Independent tests revealed significant levels of NDMA in Zantac pills. How high were the levels? Testing revealed that one over-the-counter Zantac pill contained 2,511,469 ng of NDMA. Taken into context, that figure was 26,000 times the maximum daily limit of NDMA set out by the FDA.

Then, in April 2020, the FDA announced that it was requesting manufacturers to withdraw all Zantac and generic Zantac OTC ranitidine drugs from the market effective immediately.

In its announcement, the FDA stated that N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), when contained in a drug, “increases over time and when stored at higher than room temperatures and may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels….”

Since that time, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office are investigating whether Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline violated the False Claims Act by failing to reveal their knowledge about the presence of NDMA in their product.

Consumers across the country are now taking matters into their own hands by filing lawsuits against Sanofi, as well as other manufacturers of ranitidine medications such as Mylan Pharmaceutical, Glenmark and Northwind to hold them accountable for the harm their products have done.

Types of Cancers Linked to NDMA in Zantac

As Zantac lawyers, we believe the following types of cancers are strongly linked to the NMDA found in Zantac:

• Bladder cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Esophageal/throat/nasal cancer
• Intestinal cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Lung cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Leukemia
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Multiple Myeloma
• As well as other types of cancer

If you consistently took Zantac, either via prescription or over-the counter, or another ranitidine product for a period of 6 months or longer, and if you were diagnosed with one of these cancers, you should seek the guidance of a Zantac injury lawyer to understand your legal rights.

The NMDA Recall May Affect Your Current Prescription

Zantac is not the only drug that has shown high levels of NDMA. The presence of the compound has prompted recalls of all ranitidine medicines, including:

• Sanofi — Zantac 150, Zantac 150 Cool Mint, Zantac 75
• Sandoz, Inc. — Ranitidine Hydrochloride Capsules
• Apotex Corp. — Ranitidine Tablets
• American Health Packaging — Ranitidine Tablets
• Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. — Nizatidine Capsules
• Northwind — Ranitidine Tablets 150mg and 300mg
• Glenmark — Ranitidine Tablets 150mg and 300mg
• Amneal — Ranitidine Tablets and Ranitidine Syrup
• PrecisionDose — Ranitidine Oral Solution
• GSMS, Inc. — Ranitidine HCI 150mg and 300mg capsules
• AHP — Ranitidine Liquid Unit Dose Cups
• Aurobindo and DG Health — Ranitidine Tablets
• Novitium Pharma — Ranitidine Hydrochloride Capsules
• Lannett Company, Inc. — Ranitidine Syrup
• Dr. Reddy’s Ranitidine Tablets and Capsules
• Perrigo Company — Ranitidine Tablets

Experienced Zantac Injury Attorneys

At Roberts & Roberts, over our 40 years in practice, we have come to understand how large pharmaceutical companies often put their own financial interests ahead of consumer safety.

In the industry, a drug maker has intense pressure to come out with a drug to beat out its competition. But this often comes at a price, as we are now seeing with Zantac settlements and other ranitidine lawsuits.

When consumers are harmed by a drug or consumer product, there is a legal and moral obligation for those pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers to compensate those consumers for their losses.

That’s why we’re here. Contact our Zantac injury attorneys today to learn more about your options.