In April 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recalled both over-the-counter and prescription Zantac after finding the drug contained a cancer-causing contaminant. If you or a loved one has taken Zantac and been diagnosed with any of these types of cancers, our Zantac injury lawyer can help:
Stomach
Colorectal
Esophageal
Intestinal
Pancreatic
Kidney
Liver
Breast
Prostate
Lemberg Law’s Zantac injury lawyers are committed to obtaining the compensation you deserve for a cancer diagnosis linked to Zantac. We’ve spent the past 15 years standing up to big business on behalf of people just like you, and have a winning track record of recovering money for our clients. Keep reading to learn more about Zantac’s cancer connection…
About Zantac
Zantac traces its roots back to the 1970s, when a British scientist discovered ranitidine, the generic name for the drug. By 1987, it was the most-prescribed drug in the world. As recently as 2018, more than 18 million prescriptions for Zantac were written in the U.S.
Zantac is primarily used to relieve heartburn, provide short-term treatment of ulcers, and help with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The drug reduces the production of stomach acid by blocking histamine. Until April 2020, it was available in the U.S. as both a prescription drug and an over-the-counter medication.
NMDA Impurities that Cause Cancer
In September 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found out that some ranitidine medications like Zantac contained low levels of a contaminant called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). NDMA is known to be a cancer-causing substance. This led the FDA to launch an investigation and conduct testing on Zantac and other ranitidine medicines.
In its investigation, the FDA initially discovered that the Zantac’s NDMA levels were similar to those found in foods like smoked meats. In the agency’s November 2019 announcement, the FDA noted that some NDMA levels exceeded what was considered acceptable. As a result, the FDA asked manufacturers to voluntarily recall ranitidine if levels of NDMA are found to be elevated. The FDA also asked the makers of Axid to voluntarily recall that drug if the NDMA levels were above those considered to be acceptable.
The FDA’s advice to consumers was to consider using a different medication, such as Pepcid, Tagamet, Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec, as the agency did not discover NDMA in those medicines.
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The FDA’s April 2020 Action
In April 2020, the Food and Drug Administration released new, more alarming news: that the levels of NDMA increase over time and when Zantac is stored at higher temperatures. In other words, the older the for of this medication – whether from the date it was manufactured or how long it sits in someone’s medicine cabinet – the higher the level of NDMA. The agency noted that sustained exposure to higher levels of NDMA may increase the risk of cancer.
Included in the FDA announcement was the agency’s request to ranitidine manufacturers that they remove their products from the marketplace. The FDA also advised consumers to stop taking Zantac, safely dispose of any Zantac they have on hand, and consider a different medication to treat their condition.
Filing a Zantac Lawsuit
If your cancer has been caused by ranitidine, you have recourse. Lemberg Law’s Zantac injury lawyer can help you recover monetary damages by filing a product liability lawsuit.
The law is on your side, because it says that a consumer has recourse if a product is defective. The defect can be the way a product was designed, something that went wrong in the manufacturing process, or a misrepresentation in marketing. In the case of Zantac and NDMA, for example, the manufacturer may have failed to warn consumers about the cancer-causing impurity.
A product liability lawsuit can either argue that the manufacturer’s defect caused harm or that the manufacturer was negligent. In other words, if Zantac harmed you, the manufacturer is responsible for compensating you for your injury.
Retaining a Zantac Injury Lawyer
When you pursue a claim for injuries arising from Zantac, you need the help of an experienced law firm. Lemberg Law understands the risks associated with this medication, and has a proven track record in obtaining compensation for clients. We are dedicated to holding manufacturers and others accountable, and getting you the help you deserve. You may be able to receive compensation for:
Medical Treatment
Disability
Lost Earnings
Pain
Suffering
If you believe that Zantac has harmed your health, call us or complete our form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
