In the fall of 2019, the USDA released a safety warning regarding the potential association of taking the popular drug Zantac and an increased risk of developing cancer. In April of 2020, the FDA officially released a recall for Zantac along with its generic forms due to the presence of elevated levels of NDMA, which is commonly considered a cancer-causing compound. If you are considering contacting Zantac lawsuit lawyers or you believe you may be eligible for a Zantac lawsuit investigation action, please read the following up to date information about these potential cases.
What Happened to Zantac?
Zantac is a popular drug that has been around since the 1980s; since its creation, it has become one of the most popular drugs in the United States. It was the first drug to ever reach $1 billion in annual sales in the United States. The drug has been primarily used to treat heartburn, along with similar conditions such as certain types of acid reflux. Zantac is an over the counter medication, but its generic form can be found in both over the counter and prescription forms. The generic form of Zantac is known as ranitidine.
Valisure Discovery
In 2019, the pharmaceutical lab Valisure decided to conduct a series of independent testing on ranitidine products due to recent cases involving the drug Valsartan (a blood pressure medication) and the presence of NDMA. their testing found that ranitidine medications, including Zantac, contained extremely high levels of NDMA. The testing conduced by Valisure found that a single tablet of over the counter Zantac contained 2,511,469 nanograms of NDMA; this is about 26,000 times the maximum daily intake indicated by the FDA.
FDA Updates
Valisure reported their findings to the FDA in July of 2019, but the FDA initially stated that their own testing could not replicate the findings of Valisure which indicated extremely high levels of NDMA present in Zantac. However, even the FDA’s testing found that there were “unacceptable levels” which promoted them to announce a safety recall. It has since been discovered that the FDA testing is believed to be flawed, which caused lower levels than the Valisure findings.
In addition to announcing a recall in April of 2020, the FDA announced that they found that the amount of NDMA in ranitidine products increased exponentially even in supposedly stable, room temperature environments; this means that the amount of NDMA present in Zantac and other ranitidine medications would increase “naturally” over time, posing an even mores serious risk.
Should I Contact Zantac Lawsuit Lawyers?
If you took Zantac regularly–such as daily or on a regular basis–for at least 6 months and were later diagnosed with cancer, then you should contact lawyers regarding a potential case. The cancers which are strongly associated with Zantac use include:
- colorectal cancer,
- stomach cancer,
- liver cancer,
- bladder cancer,
- intestinal cancer and
- esophageal cancer.
