Until recently, each year doctors were writing more than 15 million prescriptions for the popular heartburn drug ranitidine, also known by its brand name Zantac. Zantac has previously been used to relieve and prevent heartburn, in addition to more serious ulcers in the stomach and intestines, but has recently been linked to cancer and pulled from the market.
Today, thousands of lawsuits have been filed on the basis that the makers of Zantac knew the dangers, or should have known, and failed to warn the public.
“A cancer diagnosis is never an easy burden to bear, either for the person who receives it or their loved ones,” offers personal injury attorney Richard Console. “But when you can trace that cancer development to a defective and dangerous drug – when you know that it didn’t have to be this way – it’s hard not to get stuck in this sense of anguish, of unfairness.”
History of Zantac and NDMA Discovery
In September 2019, Valisure, an online pharmacy based in Connecticut, informed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it had found the cancer-causing chemical NDMA in batches of Zantac and generic ranitidine products. Many retailers, including Walmart, Walgreen, CVS and Rite Aid quickly pulled prescriptions and over-the-counter formulas of the drug from their shelves.
Following these claims, the FDA released a public health statement advising the public, “Although there are no reports of NDMA causing cancer in humans, it is reasonable to expect that exposure to NDMA by eating, drinking or breathing could cause cancer in humans.”
On April 1, 2020, the FDA requested that manufacturers immediately withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine medications from the market after further testing concluded that a potentially unsafe amount of NDMA can build up in the drug when stored for long periods or in the presence of heat.
Zantac, NDMA and Cancer
Zantac’s active ingredient, ranitidine, has been found to contain the cancer-causing chemical NDMA. NDMA in very small amounts is not dangerous and can be found in consumers’ daily products, such as cured meat, cheese, fish, beer, tobacco, detergent and shampoo, according to Everyday Health.
The limit set by the FDA as “safe” is 96 nanograms (ng) per day. This very small amount is the equivalent to one billionth of a gram – the weight, on average, of a single cell in the human body. Lab testing found some Zantac formulas contain 31,000 times the maximum level considered safe, more than 3,000,000 ng per tablet.
Recent testing by the FDA has found the level of NDMA in ranitidine may rise above the acceptable daily intake limit when the drug is stored at higher temperatures, and even when it’s stored under normal conditions. It also revealed the longer the length of time since the ranitidine product was manufactured, the greater the level of NDMA. Possible exposure to the powerful carcinogen NDMA, has been linked to more than a dozen types of cancer, including the following:
- Prostate Cancer
- Lower Esophageal Cancer
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Multiple Myeloma
- Colon Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
- Intestinal Cancer
- And Pancreatic Cancer
Chemical researchers often use NDMA to give laboratory animals cancer, yet for decades, patients throughout the United States and across the world may have been unknowingly ingesting it in massive and dangerous quantities.
Lawsuits
Across the United States, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the drugmaker Sanofi, revolving around Zantac’s alleged contamination with NDMA. The lawsuits claim Sanofi knew about the dangers of NDMA in Zantac, but failed to properly warn the public, government and medical community of serious risks, thus proving negligence.
Many of these pending lawsuits involve patients and consumers who have been using the heartburn drug for years. People who have developed cancer – especially bladder and stomach cancer – may be entitled to compensation.
There are several proposed Zantac class actions filed by attorneys on behalf of people in New Jersey, California, Florida, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Anyone who bought Zantac or generic ranitidine can join the class action. They don’t have to have a cancer diagnosis. They only need to prove they bought the drug and did not receive a warning about the cancer risk.
What You Should Do
First, if you are taking Zantac over-the-counter, the FDA recommends to immediately stop and safely dispose of any tablets or liquids you may have at home. If you have taken prescription ranitidine, discuss with your healthcare professional alternative treatment options before deprescribing.
If you have the slightest suspicion that your situation may be grounds for a Zantac cancer lawsuit, the next step is to reach out to a personal injury attorney for a consultation to better understand your lawsuit options. Some attorneys may offer a free and risk-free consultation, so there’s nothing to lose.
“If you are fighting a cancer battle right now or have lost a loved one to this brutal type of disease, my heart goes out to you,” empathizes Console. “Please give me the opportunity to support you during this terrible time by reviewing your situation for absolutely free and offering you the same caliber of guidance I would give to my own family.”
According to lawyers accepting Zantac claims, people must satisfy three conditions to potentially qualify for a lawsuit – proven Zantac use, a cancer diagnosis and connection between the diagnosis and Zantac. Only a lawyer can properly evaluate a claim, and they can then help gather medical records and evidence to build a case.
“I know that a lawsuit won’t give you back all you have lost. Nothing can,” states Console. “But I also know what an impact it can have on your wellbeing to have an advocate, to get justice, and to get the compensation that minimizes the crushing financial impact of a cancer battle.”
Richard P. Console, Jr. is the founder of Console and Associates, PC. He opened his law firm to serve one vital purpose: to help the victims of accidents and injuries at the time when they need help the most. Mr. Console is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Since 1994, he has represented over 7,000 clients and has achieved a record of success getting clients every dollar of compensation they deserve.
If you or anyone you know has developed cancer following regular use of any ranitidine heartburn medicine, please make sure to speak with a Zantac lawsuit attorney right away.
