Zantac Cancer Lawsuit

Zantac Recalled Due to Potential Cancer Risk

Recently, multiple ranitidine and Zantac manufacturers recalled their products due to concerns that they contain high levels of NDMA, a carcinogen.

On April 1, 2020, the FDA requested that all Ranitidine (Zantac) products be removed from the market.

If you or a loved one were diagnosed with bladder, kidney, stomach, or another cancer after taking Zantac, contact our dangerous drug accident injury lawyers today for a free case review. Time to file your Zantac Lawsuit is limited.


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Zantac (ranitidine), the popular over-the-counter heartburn medication, has recently been at the center of several newly filed lawsuits because of concerns that it contains NDMA, likely due to an inherent instability of the drug molecule.  Recently, two class-action lawsuits were filed against Zantac manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis LLC and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, who previously held rights to Zantac, with plaintiffs claiming that the companies knowingly put patient health at risk.  Additionally, multiple personal injury cases have been filed in federal courts, which were in the Southern District of Florida in February 2020.

Because of these concerns, Zantac was recently pulled from many stores, and some forms of the generic medication have been recalled.  Swiss pharmaceutical maker Novartis has also halted distribution of some generic Zantac pills, but they have not recalled the medication.  At this time, Zantac manufacturers Sandoz LLC and Apotex, have recalled their products.

Chaffin Luhana is investigating cases in which patients took Zantac or generic forms of ranitidine and then developed certain cancers.

Contamination of Zantac with Carcinogenic Chemical NDMA

Valisure, an online pharmacy that regularly tests the drugs it sells, detected levels of dimethylformamide (DMF) in blood pressure back in the spring of 2019.  DMF is a solvent that can form nitrosamine impurities like N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)— which is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a probable carcinogen.

The FDA had been investigating NDMA and other nitrosamine impurities in blood pressure and heart failure drugs since July 2018, and had recommended numerous recalls after discovering unacceptable levels of these contaminants.

Valisure’s testing found NDMA levels in ranitidine pills at “extremely high levels” in excess of 3,000,000 ng per tablet.  The FDA’s established permissible daily intake of the toxin is 96 ng.  On September 9, 2019, Valisure submitted a citizen petition to the FDA, requesting they take action to protect public health, including recalling all ranitidine products in the U.S. due to the concerns.

On September 13, 2019, the FDA published a safety communication warning that some ranitidine medicines, including Zantac, had tested positive for N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in the lab.

Soon after that, Sandoz, a generic maker of the drug, recalled 14 lots of ranitidine hydrochloride capsules because of the confirmed presence of NDMA above levels deemed safe by the FDA.  Those lot numbers are listed on the FDA’s news site.  Other generic makers like Glaxo-Smith-Kline and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories stopped shipping their ranitidine products but stopped short of implementing any recalls.

More recently, on April 1, 2020, the FDA published a news release, requesting that all manufacturers withdraw all prescription over-the-counter ranitidine drugs from the market immediately.  The agency made this move after it identified that the NDMA impurity in ranitidine products appeared to increase over time and when stored in higher than room temperatures.  As a result, consumers may b exposed to unacceptable levels of NDMA.  Zantac and ranitidine products will no longer be available for new or existing prescription or OTC in the U.S.

Zantac/Ranitidine Case Highlights

Sept. 13: FDA issues a statement alerting patients and healthcare professionals of NDMA found in samples of ranitidine.  The agency stated it had learned that some of these medications, including Zantac and generic ranitidine, contained NDMA.

Nov. 4: A group of plaintiffs files a motion with the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate all federally filed Zantac lawsuits into one court for pre-trial proceedings.

Feb. 6:  Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) orders that Zantac lawsuits should be centralized in the Southern District of Florida.

April 1: The FDA requests that all Ranitidine (Zantac) products be removed from the market.

May 8: Founding Partner Roopal Luhana is appointed to Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee and one of six committee chairs (ESI/Document Production Committee) in the Zantac MDL.

For a complete Zantac/Ranitidine case timeline, click here.

For a complete listing of MDL orders in the litigation, click here. 

What is NDMA and Why Is It In Zantac?

NDMA was used to make rocket fuel years ago, but it was banned from that process after high levels of the chemical were found in the air, water, and soil samples around rocket fuel manufacturing plants.

NDMA may also be formed as a by-product of other manufacturing processes.

NDMA can even form in the stomach during digestion of alkylamine-containing foods and has been detected in small amounts in breast milk.  In addition to WHO and IARC, NDMA has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as probably carcinogenic to humans, because it can modify DNA.  Studies have shown the chemical to increase cancer risk in animal experiments.

The WHO notes had indicated that the results of human studies so far can’t be used to “derive a quantitative risk of cancer”.  In a 2002 Chemical Assessment Document, the WHO reviewed studies that addressed NDMA’s effects on humans and reported that “[i]n three of four case–control studies, there was a positive relationship with evidence of exposure–response for the intake of NDMA and gastric cancer….”

The FDA has so far labeled NDMA as an “impurity” found in Zantac, generic ranitidine, and other drugs, but Valisure disagrees, stating the carcinogen is a natural by-product of the ingredients used to make the drug.

Valisure believes it has discovered the link between Zantac and its generics to NDMA:

“Valisure’s research, along with that of Stanford University and others, found that NDMA was the result of the ‘inherent instability’ of the ranitidine molecule. This means that all manufacturers, brand or generic, and all lots of ranitidine-containing medications are affected and could generate very high levels of NDMA in the human body.”

Significantly, ranitidine interacts with the stomach in a warm environment, and that heat could potentially transform the drug into NDMA during the digestive process, though we are still waiting on studies to confirm this.

Meanwhile, France, Canada, Austria, and other countries have recalled all forms of ranitidine from their markets after detecting NDMA. The drug remains available in the U.S., though many major drugstore chains, including CVS and Walgreens, pulled Zantac and generic versions of the heartburn drug from their shelves.

Types of Injuries Associated with Zantac

Types of injuries associated with Zantac and generic forms of ranitidine may include:

What is Zantac (Ranitidine)?

Zantac, the most popular brand of ranitidine, is used to help reduce stomach acid.  The medication is commonly prescribed to treat ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), chronic indigestion, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.  It comes in both over-the-counter and prescription strengths that may be taken by mouth or administered via injection into a muscle or vein.

Ranitidine belongs to a class of drugs known as H2 blockers that work by reducing the amount of acid the stomach produces.  H2 receptors are present on the cells in the stomach lining.  A histamine chemical normally stimulates these receptors to produce acid to the body help digest food.  Ranitidine blocks these receptors, and prevents histamine from producing its normal effect, which causes the stomach to produce less acid.

The manufacturers of Zantac and generic ranitidine products have warned patients and healthcare providers about the following potential side effects, but to this day have never warned about any potential exposure to a carcinogen:

  • Headaches
  • Gastrointestinal side effects (constipation, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain)
  • Drowsiness, dizziness
  • Sleep problems
  • Decreased sex drive
  • Swollen or tender breasts (in men)
  • At high doses, may affect liver function

Common brands of ranitidine include:

  • Zantac
  • Wal-Zan
  • Heartburn Relief
  • Acid Reducer
  • Acid Control

Filing a Zantac Lawsuit

Some plaintiffs have already filed lawsuits against the makers of Zantac and of generic ranitidine, and more are expected to be filed in the future.  In September 2019, for example, five plaintiffs joined together to file a class-action lawsuit against Zantac manufacturer Sanoti-Aventis LLC and former owner of the rights to Zantac, Boehringer Ingelheim, which manufactured and distributed the drug between October 2006 and January 2017.

The plaintiffs claimed that the defendants failed to warn healthcare providers and the public about the dangers of taking Zantac, and did not reveal that Zantac could produce NDMA in the human body.

If you or a loved one took Zantac or generic ranitidine and suffered a serious cancer injury, you may be eligible to file a Zantac lawsuit to recover damages.  Chaffin Luhana is now investigating these cases and invites you to call today at 888-480-1123.

Zantac Drug Claim Law Firm in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Chaffin & Luhana LLP
615 Iron City Dr,
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Phone:(412)-345-8144