On April 1, 2020, the FDA issued a market withdrawal of all Zantac (ranitidine) products. The FDA determined that Zantac contained dangerous levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). The result was consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of NDMA. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the FDA all classify NDMA as a carcinogen, a substance capable of causing cancer. Prior to the FDA recall, many manufacturers of Zantac had already issued voluntary recalls of their own.
NDMA IS A KNOWN HUMAN CARCINOGEN
NDMA belongs to a family of chemicals known as N-nitrosamines. According to the EPA, N-nitrosamines are part of “a family of potent carcinogens.” NDMA was originally used as a component in rocket fuel, but in the early 1970s it was discovered that NDMA is a potent carcinogen and as a result, NDMA is no longer intentionally manufactured or used in anything outside of scientific testing. Animal testing of NDMA has found that it causes very high rates of certain types of cancer. It is now widely accepted that it causes cancer.
DISCOVERY THAT ZANTAC CONTAINS NDMA
In June of 2019, Valisure, a pharmacy that chemically validates medications for consistency and quality issues, discovered extremely high levels of NDMA in ranitidine and subsequently filed a petition requesting that the FDA recall all products containing ranitidine, the key ingredient in Zantac.
Valisure’s findings were consistent with various university and independent studies that had already found NDMA in Zantac. The evidence presented in the Valisure and other studies show that the NDMA in Zantac is a likely human carcinogen.
Another petition was filed with the FDA, noting that ranitidine is time- and temperature-sensitive and also tends to develop into NDMA when exposed to heat. Exposure to high temperatures is a common occurrence during transportation and storage and is of specific concern to ranitidine as there are currently no requirements for the drug to be shipped in temperature-controlled conditions or stored under refrigeration.
ZANTAC’S LINK TO CANCER
Since the FDA approved Zantac in the 1980s, numerous studies have shown a link between ranitidine and cancer.
MEYER WILSON CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR ZANTAC CLAIMS
Meyer Wilson is accepting cases for people who took Zantac and ended up developing the following types of cancers:
- Bladder Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Gastric/Stomach Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
If you or a member of your family took Zantac (ranitidine) and developed one of the above cancers, contact us today for a risk-free, no-cost case evaluation. You may be entitled to significant compensation. Pharmaceutical litigation is a complex process and the attorneys at Meyer Wilson have years of experience holding big corporations accountable for concealing the dangers of consumer products.
