Zantac linked to Cancer
We are no longer accepting Zantac Cancer clients.
What is Zantac?
- Bladder Cancer
- Colorectal/Intestinal Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer (if did not smoke for the 10 years before diagnosis)
- Gastric (stomach) Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Lung Cancer (if did not smoke for the 10 years before diagnosis)
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Prostate Cancer (diagnosis before age 65)
- Pediatric Cancer (cancer of a child)
Our criteria must have:
- Cancer diagnosed after year 2000 with one of the above cancers
- Zantac, or Zantac and ranitidine, usage of at least 4 pills/week for at least 1 year prior to cancer diagnosis
- Cancer diagnosed within 10 years after the last use of Zantac
Zantac Litigation – MDL Created
The Zantac litigation was consolidated in the Southern District of Florida Zantac MDL. before U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in MDL No. 2924 with Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart in United States Federal Court in West Palm Beach, Florida. In 20-MD-2924-Rosenberg – In Re: Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation. All plaintiffs cases will be dismissed.
What Research Studies are Cited?
The plaintiffs cite research studies, including a 2016 study from Stanford University. In that study, researchers tested 150 mg of ranitidine in humans and found that after ranitidine intake, urinary NDMA levels increased 400-fold from 110 to 47,600 nanograms (ng). This amount far exceeds the FDA’s set safe daily intake of 96 ng per day. The researchers also noted that levels of NDMA may be much higher because only a small amount of the chemical reaches the urine after it is metabolized.
What Compensation Can I Claim?
You might have been eligible to recover damages for:
- Medical costs
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disability or permanent injury
- Punitive damages
- Wrongful death
Who Are the Defendants?
The Defendant Manufacturers include:
- Boehringer Ingelheim – Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As of 2018, Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, and the largest private one.
- Sanofi – Sanofi, Inc. is a French multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France.
- Pfizer = Pfizer Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation headquartered on 42nd Street in Manhattan, New York City.
- GlaxoSmithKline – GSK is a British-based pharmaceutical company with research-and-development centres in the United States, Belgium, and China as well as the United Kingdom.
FDA Recommendations
The April 1, 2020, the FDA release that ordered withdrawal of all ranitidine drugs, including Zantac, added the following RECOMMENDATION:
- Patients: Patients taking prescription ranitidine should speak with their health care professional about other treatment options before stopping the medicine, as there are multiple drugs approved for the same or similar uses as ranitidine that do not carry the same risks from NDMA. To date, the FDA’s testing has not found NDMA in famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec).
- Consumers: The FDA is also advising consumers taking OTC ranitidine to stop taking any tablets or liquid they currently have, dispose of them properly and not buy more; for those who wish to continue treating their condition, they should consider using other approved OTC products.
- Consumers and Patients: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA recommends patients and consumers not take their medicines to a drug take-back location but follow the FDA’s recommended steps which include ways to safely dispose of these medications at home.
In September 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement that N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was detected in at least one manufacturer’s version of ranitidine. Afterwards, some manufacturers voluntarily recalled their own versions of the drug and some of the largest retail stores removed Zantac (ranitidine) from their shelves.
NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen and is found in low levels of cigarettes, most foods, and drinking water. The FDA has publicly stated that the levels of NDMA found were “low” and suggested that the risk posed to humans was inconclusive as of now
Important information about NDMA impurities in ranitidine:
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has requested a manufacturer’s market withdrawal of ranitidine, known commonly by the brand name Zantac. This means ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or over-the-counter (OTC) use in the U.S.
- FDA has found N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) levels in some ranitidine products increase with time and temperature posing a risk to consumers, and therefore the agency has requested the withdrawal of all ranitidine products from the U.S. market.
- Consumers should stop taking any OTC ranitidine they may currently have. Patients taking prescription ranitidine should speak with their health care professional about other treatment options before stopping the medicine. Multiple drugs are approved for the same or similar uses as ranitidine.
- Consumers should dispose of any ranitidine products properly, and not buy more of it including compounded ranitidine.
- To date, FDA’s testing has not found NDMA in products used for similar treatment like famotidine (Pepcid), cimetidine (Tagamet), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid) or omeprazole (Prilosec).
