Zantac, labeled as ranitidine in its generic form, is a drug that was sold over the counter in pharmacies and stores throughout the world. It is used to treat people who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other digestive problems involving the overproduction of stomach acid.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that companies pull the drug from shelves. It also advised anyone taking the drug to stop. The FDA is concerned about dangerous levels of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) impurities in Zantac and other ranitidine products. NDMA is linked to cancer; a high concentration in certain blood pressure drugs triggered their recall last year.
If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and took Zantac or any other ranitidine product, use our online form to learn if you have a case. It takes less than a minute, but it could change the rest of your life.
In the last quarter of 2019, an online pharmacy called Valisure alerted the FDA that it discovered concerning levels of NDMA in ranitidine medications. They filed a Citizen Petition requesting that it recall all ranitidine products sold in the U.S. and establish protocols for testing drugs for NDMA.
The FDA responded to Valisure’s petition by conducting “early, limited testing” on various ranitidine products. After the agency discovered unacceptable levels of NDMA in various ranitidine products, many of the nation’s largest pharmacies pulled Zantac and other ranitidine products from their shelves.
These retailers include CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart.
Notably, the FDA did not issue a recall, stating it required further testing. It also didn’t inform ranitidine users to stop taking the drug. Meanwhile, the regulatory agencies of other nations, such as the United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), ordered an immediate recall of certain ranitidine products. Sanofi, the producer of Zantac, obeyed a recall ordered by Canadian officials, yet didn’t do so in the United States.
The initial MHRA recall included the following drugs:
While the FDA is still researching the effects of NDMA found in ranitidine, the substance has been linked to a variety of medical complications. Exposure to NDMA can cause someone to experience headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, cramps, an enlarged liver, and inhibited organ function.
Those exposed to NDMA may be at risk of the following:
The presence of NDMA in ranitidine is particularly distressing because this product was available for purchase without a prescription. No one should suffer because of a medicine they trusted to be safe. If you believe you’re suffering because of exposure to NDMA from ranitidine products, help is available.
At Arnold & Itkin LLP, we aren’t afraid to take on the world’s largest companies for failing to make safe products. In fact, we recently secured an $8 billion verdict on behalf of a client suffering because of an unsafe drug produced by one of the biggest companies in the world: Johnson & Johnson.
If you’ve developed cancer or experienced other medical problems associated with NDMA, we’re standing by to help. Finding out more about your options is free by filling out our online form.
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