Judge Picks Patient Advocates Move Ahead With Heartburn Drug Zantac Lawsuits Due To Cancer Causing Chemicals

Last Updated on December 14, 2022 by Lawsuit Informer

Zantac Recall In California Zantac heartburn medicine are seen at a store in Mountain View, California on October 1, 2019. Drug stores are starting to pull Zantac and its generic versions from the shelf after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that it had found low levels of a cancer-causing chemical, a type of nitrosamine called nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, in samples of the drug, which is a probable human carcinogen. (Photo by Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Photo by Yichuan Cao/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A US District Judge in Florida has selected a group of 26 lawyers to move ahead with lawsuits against Sanofi, the manufacturers of heartburn drug Zantac, over the drug’s links to cancer.

US District Judge Robin Rosenberg has selected a team of lawyers to lead multidistrict litigation against drug firm Sanofi over the risks that the popular heartburn medication Zantac poses to consumers.

The litigation combines hundreds of lawsuits against Sanofi, the company that makes Zantac, from around the country. The cases seek compensation for patients after tests found a cancer-causing chemical, NDMA, in Zantac in late 2019.

The cases claim Sanofi and other drug companies knew about the possible presence of carcinogens in the heartburn drug Zantac and other products but failed to inform consumers. Studies dating back to the 1980s raised the possibility of impurities that could lead to cancer, but the pharmaceutical firms declined to inform consumers about the risks.

The move by Judge Rosenburg signals that cases against Sanofi will soon move forward. Judge Rosenburg also emphasized the diversity of the team of lawyers chosen to lead the litigation, which includes nearly equal representation of women and at least four racial minorities.

Use the form below or call (800) 956-9876 to discuss your situation and legal option related to Zantac use.

Embed from Getty Images

Rep. Rosa DeLauro Reintroduces The “Recall Unsafe Drugs Act” WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 10: David Light, (L), founder and CEO of Valisure speaks while flanked by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, (D-CT), during a news conference to reintroduce the “Recall Unsafe Drugs Act,” at the U.S. Capitol on January 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by researchers at Valisure, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Stanford University has found an association between ranitidine use and several forms of cancer. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Zantac Lawsuits Move Ahead As Evidence Of Cancer Link Mounts

Last September, a small lab in the US called Valisure found unsafe levels of NDMA in ranitidine, the generic version of Zantac. Valisure informed the US Food and Drug Administration that their testing had found levels of NDMA in the heartburn drug Zantac that were over 3,000 times higher than the safe daily limit. Sanofi and other makers of ranitidine drugs soon pulled their products off the market.

In April, the FDA announced a request that all manufacturers of ranitidine drugs remove their products from drug store shelves and pharmacies due to the possible presence of carcinogens in the drugs.

“The agency has determined that the impurity in some ranitidine products increases over time and when stored at higher than room temperatures and may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of this impurity,” the FDA announcement read. “As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S.”

Studies have linked NDMA to cancer of the kidneys, bladder, stomach, pancreas, liver and lungs.

As the evidence, against the heartburn drug Zantac maker Sanofi, mounts and the litigation moves forward, personal injury lawyers say the number of cases against the company will likely continue to grow.

Meldofsky Law Firm is the sponsoring firm of this website.

Lawsuit Informer provides a 100% FREE CASE STUDY on Zantac lawsuits. Contact us to know more about the current lawsuits being filed or if you would like to talk about your legal options.