The Zantac drug has been on the market since the early 1980s. Today, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer, as its product is believed to cause cancer. Here are the key facts about this mass tort litigation.

Consumers who have developed different types of cancer are now demanding compensation. Each Zantac lawsuit is built around the fact that the drug contains excessive levels of NDMA (N–Nitrosodimethylamine). If you, too, have been diagnosed with the disease after taking Zantac (ranitidine), you may join them.

NDMA and Zantac

According to the lawsuits, the drug contains too much NDMA, which is a probable carcinogen. Plaintiffs claim the pharmaceutical company knew their drug could cause it to form, but it failed to inform the public as profits were prioritized over public health. The plaintiffs have developed the following types of cancer, among others:

• bladder,
• liver,
• kidney,
• stomach,
• colon,
• prostate,
• breast.

Success of Zantac

The drug, which appeared in 1983, soon brought the producer 1 billion dollars in annual sales, which was unprecedented. Subsequently, popularity in the US remained strong for decades. In 2018, it was among the top 10 antacid brands in the country. According to the lawsuits, the total volume of sales for OTC Zantac exceeded $129 million that year.

Link with NDMA

The plaintiffs claim that scientific evidence of possible NDMA formation existed even before Zantac hit the market. This means the manufacturer knew that a compound in ranitidine could form NDMA inside the human body.

In September 2019, the Food And Drug Administration issued a public safety warning. It had been established that the levels of NDMA in certain ranitidine and Zantac samples were excessive. This led to a series of voluntary recalls from different producers.

Later, in April 2020, the FDA requested withdrawals from all ranitidine manufacturers. The organization had found that ranitidine levels were growing gradually and in conditions with higher than room temperatures. This means that when Zantac is stored, the levels of ranitidine in it may continue rising.

Has the Connection Been Proved?

At the moment, no scientific studies are proving the connection between Zantac and cancer in humans. However, there are reasons to believe it exists. According to the classification by The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), NDMA is a probable human carcinogen. So far, it has been proved to cause cancer in animals only.

Lawsuits Across the US

The lawsuits filed on behalf of cancer patients across the country claim ranitidine is a flawed drug due to ingredients that may turn into NDMA. Hundreds of individual lawsuits are consolidated in federal court in Florida — 539 as of Oct. 15, 2020.

In addition to mass tort litigation, proposed class actions have also been filed. However, these only request refunds instead of addressing the connection between Zantac and cancer. If you have developed cancer after taking the drug, apply for a free case review today.