After months of tests and voluntary recalls, the FDA finally granted Emery Pharma’s citizen petition on April 1st, asking all manufacturers to withdraw all ranitidine products off the market. The tests carried out by the FDA and Emery Pharma were done in response to the claim made by Valisure, an independent pharmacy, over the danger of a possible contaminant in Zantac. However recent developments remind us that the threat exists beyond this single heartburn medication.
Tests carried out by Emery Pharma concluded that the longer ranitidine is exposed to heat, the more a substance called NDMA will form. Additionally, the older a medication is, the more likely it is to contain NDMA. NDMA is a possible human carcinogen that is primarily used in rocket fuel and in lubricants and can cause several types of cancer including liver cancer, kidney cancer, gastric cancer or colorectal cancer. This carcinogen poses an extreme danger since there is no way to tell which products have developed NDMA. When ranitidine products are delivered or stored, they are exposed to sufficient heat to develop amounts of NDMA that are unsafe for human consumption. Ranitidine is commonly known by its brand name, Zantac.
Due to this concern, CVS and Walgreens recalled Zantac off their shelves in late 2019, starting a list of pharmacies and manufacturers that voluntarily recalled this specific medication off the market without the request of the FDA. However, now that there is an official blanket recall of all ranitidine products, other medications are being pulled off as well. Amneal Pharmaceuticals recently recalled three lots of Nizatidine, another heartburn medication, saying that there are “potential N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) amounts above levels established by the FDA.”
Amneal Pharmaceuticals’ recall should remind everyone that although NDMA was originally found in Zantac, other heartburn, reflux, and ulcer medications that contain nizatidine and/or ranitidine are at risk of developing this carcinogen. The FDA has advised everyone to stop taking any ranitidine tablets or liquid they currently have and to dispose of them properly and not buy more. Nizatidine is as vulnerable to NDMA as Zantac, and so far testing indicates that this carcinogen can develop. Because of this, if you are taking ranitidine to treat heartburn or any other condition, we suggest you follow the recommendations outlined by the FDA. Additionally, if you or a loved one has been exposed to long term consumption of ranitidine and has developed one of the cancers listed below, you may be entitled to compensation.
The type of cancers caused by NDMA include:
- Liver
- Kidney
- Gastric
- Colorectal
- Stomach
- Prostate
- Throat
- Esophageal
- Nasal
- Kidney (Renal Cell)
- Pancreatic
- Lung
- Testicular
- And others
If you feel as if you may qualify or want to inquire if you can receive compensation, please reach out at 954-384-6114 so we can inform you of your legal rights.
Our team at Oppenheim Law recognizes the emotional burden these illnesses can have on families. That is why our firm is committed to help you by providing the best team of professionals to represent you.
From the trenches,
Roy Oppenheim
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