Ranitidine, also known by its brand name Zantac, belongs to a class of drugs known as H2 (or histamine-2) blockers. Over the counter (OTC) ranitidine (Zantac) is commonly used to relieve and prevent heartburn while prescription strengths are used to treat and prevent more serious ulcers in the stomach and intestines.
In the summer of 2019, laboratory tests began showing low levels of a potentially cancer-causing contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in some ranitidine (Zantac) medicines. Shortly thereafter, several drug makers issued voluntary recalls of ranitidine (Zantac) medicines and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted health care professionals and patients of the potential cancer risk.<
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that manufacturers immediately withdraw all prescription and OTC ranitidine medications from the market after further testing concluded that a potentially unsafe amount of NDMA can build up in the drug when stored for long periods or in the presence of heat.
The FDA recommended consumers stop taking and dispose of any over the counter ranitidine (Zantac) tablets or liquid that they currently have at home. Patients who are taking prescription ranitidine should speak with their health care professional about other treatment options before stopping the medicine. There are many other drugs that can be used to treat the same conditions ranitidine (Zantac) has been used to treat.
There are a variety of companies that produced and marketed ranitidine in the United States. Lawsuits are being filed on behalf of people who have injuries such as liver, bladder and other types of cancer, which they attribute to NDMA in Zantac. The filings claim that manufacturers, sellers and distributors knowingly put consumers at risk and were responsible for hiding the dangers of Zantac from its consumers.
Since the end of 2019, Ranitidine, commonly marketed as Zantac, has been subject to recall. It was revealed that Ranitidine contains trace amounts of NDMA, a potentially cancer-causing substance. The original manufacturer of Zantac, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), knew about the potential dangers of the drug since they…
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested the recall of all forms of Zantac (ranitidine) from the market, due to concerns about cancer risks. This was the final step in over a year of investigations and studies on the drug…
In September 2019, questions about how Zantac (ranitidine) breaks down to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a cancer-causing agent, first surfaced. Online pharmacy Valisure, which first detected the chemical in samples of the drug in June 2019, argued in a citizen’s petition submitted three months later that the…
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested the recall of all Zantac (ranitidine) products from the market because of potential N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) levels found. NDMA is a potent cancer-causing agent. The question is, where did this NDMA come from? While…
In June 2019, online pharmacy Valisure detected a cancer-causing agent (NDMA) in the popular heartburn drug Zantac (ranitidine). Since then, thousands of consumers have been concerned that if they took the drug—particularly if they took it for long periods—they may now be at an increased…
A Florida man has recently joined the Zantac MDL proceeding in the U.S. District Court for the District of Southern Florida. He filed a short-form complaint alleging that he developed cancer after using Zantac for several years. The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML)…
On September 12, 2019, the FDA first alerted the public to the possible presence of cancer-causing N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in Zantac and generic ranitidine medications. Since then, drug manufacturers have faced an increasing number of Zantac lawsuits filed against them in courts across the country. Now,…
In the fall of 2019 the USDA reported on the existence of NDMA in Zantac and generic ranitidine products Several months later an order was issued requiring the recall of every single ranitidine drug on the market. The discovery of this contaminent in Zantac was…
High levels of a chemical formerly used in rocket fuel detected in the popular heartburn medication, Zantac. In April 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requested all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs (commonly recognized as Zantac) be withdrawn immediately from the market. A…
If you haven’t heard about the potential cancer risk with Zantac (ranitidine), the popular over-the-counter antacid medication, you’re not alone. Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested the recall of all Zantac and generic ranitidine medications from the market back in April…