Ranitidine recalled: 5 things you need to know about Zantac lawsuits

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As the Zantac issue escalates, the victims continue to fight for their right to be compensated for the damages and threats Zantac imposed on their health. More and more victims have surfaced and joined the battle in finding justice.

Zantac’s health hazard should not be underestimated as it can cause cancer to people who are taking it. If you have an ongoing lawsuit filed against the Zantac manufacturer or you are still planning to file a case, you must know the facts regarding a Zantac lawsuit.

Here are the five facts about the lawsuit to guide you along the way.

Zantac Recall Cases in Different Countries

Fifteen companies have issued a recall on Zantac products in the United States alone. This decision followed the FDA order last April 1, 2020. Additionally, the FDA expanded the recall order to 43 countries aside from the U.S. These countries include:

• Japan
• Hungary
• Germany
• Italy
• France
• Taiwan
• Canada
• Ireland
• UK
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Greece
• Indonesia

The Basis of Zantac Lawsuit

The Zantac lawsuit’s primary basis is that the drug contains N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a human carcinogen that can cause cancer to people exposed. The FDA discovered that NDMA levels in some Ranitidine products, including Zantac, increases with time and temperature. When the level of NDMA increases, it poses a risk to the consumer’s health.

This impurity in Ranitidine products can cause life-threatening illnesses including, but not limited to, cancer of the bladder, kidney tumor, liver tumor, lung tumor, cancer of the stomach, and Liver Fibrosis. Although Zantac can cause other side effects, such as headaches, diarrhea, and nausea, these are not included in the lawsuit claims.

Plaintiffs of the Zantac lawsuit claim that the manufacturer failed to warn the public about the dangers of using Zantac regularly. The lawsuit insists that the Ranitidine drug is unstable and argued that drugmakers, as early as 1981, were aware of the danger of NDMA formation in Zantac.

Some lawsuits claim that a study conducted in the 1980’s found that NDMA can potentially form when it comes into contact with nitrate in the consumer’s body. Another study that was carried out in 2011 by Susan A. Andrews and Ruqiao Shen showed that NDMA could form in Ranitidine drugs after being exposed to drinking water purified with chlorine.

In 2016, another study was conducted and led by Teng Zeng and William Mitch, which confirms the study accomplished in 1981- along with some additional facts. Zeng and Mitch observed that urine from patients taking Zantac consists of traces of NDMA after 24 hours from the time Zantac is consumed.

After all these studies were conducted, with results that proved the danger in taking Ranitidine, lawsuits cited that drug manufacturers failed to warn the public of the adverse effects of the drug on the human body.