Another month has passed, and Zantac’s battle is still alive in courts where Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim are blamed for producing and distributing a drug that contains NDMA, a carcinogen, in products made with ranitidine. The millions of Americans suffering from acid reflux, otherwise known as heartburn, that have used Zantac seeking relief may now be at risk of developing liver cancer, kidney cancer, gastric cancer or colorectal cancer.
Looking Back
In September of 2019 a pharmacy called Valisure claimed that ranitidine, which is commonly sold as Zantac, had a contaminant called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at levels deemed “low” by the FDA yet still higher the permitted amount. Independent tests have shown NDMA presence to be over 30,000 times the 96ng safe amount, reaching up to 3,000,000ng per tablet. Soon after, the first class action lawsuit was filed arguing that both Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim deceived customers by hiding the NDMA found in ranitidine and that both companies “knew or had a reason to know” about the dangers consumers were facing. In late 2019 various suppliers voluntarily pulled Zantac off their shelves, including Walmart, Walgreens, CVS and others.
The New Players
As others follow suit in 2020 and more tests are performed to verify this threat, the case against the manufacturers of this alleged cancerous ingredient in antacids, like Zantac, seems to become clearer. Appco Pharma, Northwind Pharmaceuticals, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and Glenmark Pharmaceutical have all initiated a recall for some type of ranitidine tablets. In the courts the situation isn’t much better. Emery Pharma has performed a study showing that the more Zantac is exposed to heat the more NDMA it will produce. This study corroborates the older claim made by the FDA which argued that Valisure’s test showed higher levels of NDMA because the ranitidine was tested at unreasonably high temperatures. Emery’s findings were used to file a citizen petition requesting the recall of Zantac and other ranitidine products.
Connecting the Dots
What is perhaps more illuminating is that as a result of this study Emery was able to not only mention a recall but point towards what could in fact be the real threat to consumers. Emery’s CEO, Ron Najafi, who has served as an expert witness on the NDMA contamination litigations in Zantac, claims that it is possible that NDMA accumulates in products with ranitidine, like Zantac, when the product is being delivered and then stored in shelves and warehouses that may not be airconditioned. According to Najafi’s claim it is conceivable that Zantac may be safe when produced but not when it leaves the hands of Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim. This is specially concerning for ranitidine products because there are no regulations that force ranitidine containing products to be shipped at safe temperatures, nor is a warning given to consumers regarding ideal storage conditions.
If you or a loved one has been consuming Zantac and has developed liver cancer, kidney cancer, gastric cancer or colorectal cancer then you should consider joining or filing a lawsuit to receive compensation.
Our team at Oppenheim Law recognizes the emotional burden these illnesses can have on families. That’s why our firm is committed to representing our clients, providing the best team of professionals to represent them.
Learn More: Zantac Lawsuit Attorneys
Please feel free to contact us at 954-384-6114 so we can inform you of your legal rights so you can obtain the compensation to which you are entitled.
From the Trenches,
Roy Oppenheim