At Russell & Hill, PLLC, we have discussed the risks concerning Zantac and over-the-counter ranitidine medications in the past. Over the last year, both prescription and over-the-counter Zantac have been removed from store shelves and subsequently recalled. Now, investigators with the federal government are looking into whether or not two drug makers knew about probable carcinogens in Zantac and other forms of ranitidine but failed to disclose this information.
Why are federal investigators looking into drug makers concerning Zantac?
Anytime a pharmaceutical company or manufacturer has information about their products being unsafe, they are obligated to disclose what they know. That is why the US Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline about their alleged violation of the False Claims Act. These two companies allegedly failed to disclose information related to the presence of n-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) inside of Zantac and the generic forms of ranitidine.
As we have reported in the past, NDMA has been classified as a probable human carcinogen, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked that all manufacturers remove prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine products from the market.
- GlaxoSmithKline is the original manufacturer of Zantac
- Sanofi currently holds the rights to the Zantac brand name in the US
- Both companies currently sell generic forms of ranitidine in the United States
If it is discovered that GlaxoSmithKline or Sanofi knew about the dangers of Zantac and ranitidine, and failed to disclose this information to the US government, they could face significant repercussions. This could also have implications in the various lawsuits against the drug makers in state and federal courts.
The presence of NDMA inside of these medications should alarm consumers. Testing of Zantac 150 mg tablets (the most commonly consumed form of the medication) indicated that there were 2,500,000 nanograms of NDMA present in the medication. According to the FDA, humans can only safely consume 96 nanograms of NDMA each day.
There are various types of cancers that have been linked to Zantac and other ranitidine products contaminated with NDMA. This includes the following:
- Stomach Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
- Small Intestine Cancer
- Colorectal Cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Lung Cancer
- Testicular Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Uterine Cancer
- Nasal/Throat Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Pancreatic Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Brain Cancer
Call us for a free consultation of your case
If you or somebody you care about has been diagnosed with cancer after using Zantac or another form of generic ranitidine, contact an attorney as soon as possible. At Russell & Hill, PLLC, we are dedicated to helping clients with these cases. Our goal is to ensure that any person harmed by Zantac or ranitidine secure the compensation they are entitled to. This can include the following:
- Coverage of any medical bills related to the cancer diagnosis
- Lost wages if a person is unable to work due to their diagnosis
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
- Pain and suffering damages
- Possible punitive damages against the drug manufacturers
When you need a Zantac attorney in Everett or anywhere in the state of Washington, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 800-529-0842.