Zantac (ranitidine) is a prescription medication that was used for decades to treat stomach problems such as ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Unfortunately, it has now been linked to serious complications, including numerous forms of cancer. People who took this dangerous drug are at elevated risk of developing cancer as well as damage to the liver, kidneys, and lungs.
People affected by Zantac’s side effects may be eligible for financial compensation. An experienced Zantac injury attorney can help guide you through the process to pursue that compensation.
History of the Zantac lawsuit
Ranitidine, the medication that would later be sold under the brand name Zantac, was first discovered in England in 1976 and entered commercial use in 1981. Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) originally developed the drug and spent millions of dollars aggressively marketing it to doctors and patients. Zantac was first approved as a prescription drug in the United States and quickly became one of the bestselling drugs in history.
While Zantac was eventually surpassed by proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs such as omeprazole, it remained popular until quite recently. As of 2019, there were more than 13 million Zantac prescriptions in the United States.
However, in September 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that there were possible cancer risks associated with Zantac. In April 2020, the FDA requested that manufacturers withdraw all ranitidine drugs (both prescription and over-the-counter) from shelves because of the cancer risk. Ranitidine sales have also been suspended in Europe and Australia.
The first lawsuits against Zantac manufacturers were filed in 2019. Currently, there are tens of thousands of Zantac lawsuits pending in both state and federal courts, with more expected to be filed in the coming years.
In April 2021, a new drug called Zantac 360 reached pharmacy shelves in the United States. This drug uses a different active ingredient (famotidine) and is not part of the Zantac litigation.
Who qualifies to file a Zantac lawsuit?
In general, patients can file a lawsuit if they took Zantac or another drug containing ranitidine at least once a week for at least one year and were diagnosed with any of the following cancers:
- Bladder cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Liver cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
The statute of limitations (legal deadline) generally begins on the date of the cancer diagnosis. The length of time you have to file a lawsuit varies depending on your jurisdiction, so it’s in your interest to talk to a Zantac attorney as soon as possible.
What is the legal basis of the Zantac lawsuits?
The safety hazard in Zantac is called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which has been classified as a group 2A carcinogen (a substance that probably causes cancer in humans).
Zantac lawsuits allege that the defective design of ranitidine posed a foreseeable risk when the drug was manufactured and used as it was supposed to be. According to online pharmacy Valisure, the active ingredient in Zantac, a chemical called ranitidine hydrochloride, converts into NDMA in the stomach. The FDA disagrees, claiming that NDMA is present as an impurity in the drug. Either way, the outcome is the same: taking Zantac as prescribed can cause elevated levels of NDMA in the body, increasing the risk of developing certain cancers.
Second, the lawsuits allege failure to warn on the part of GSK and other Zantac manufacturers. The Zantac packaging includes a warning label, but that warning label does not say anything about NDMA or cancer risks. Had doctors been aware of this risk, they likely would not have prescribed the drug, and had patients been aware, they likely would not have taken it – especially since there are many other medications that treat the same medical conditions as ranitidine.
How the Zantac lawsuits work
Federal Zantac lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL), a procedure used by the courts to streamline proceedings when there are many civil actions pending with one or more “common questions of fact” – that is, legal issues to be determined by looking at the evidence. MDLs are common in cases involving defective drugs because while each victim’s medical complications may be different, the evidence about the drug itself is the same. Note that an MDL is different from a class action; while the proceedings in an MDL are streamlined, each plaintiff still has an individual lawsuit.
Currently, the first Zantac cases are expected to go to trial in late 2022 or 2023. The outcomes of those “bellwether” trials will play a significant role in the eventual overall outcome of the MDL. A likely outcome is that the case will be resolved via a “global settlement” in which individual plaintiffs’ awards will depend on which complications they suffered and their Zantac use history.
Zantac cases are also pending in state courts in some states.
How much is a Zantac settlement worth?
As there have been no Zantac settlements or verdicts yet, it is impossible to say how much each case will ultimately be worth. However, based on previous litigation involving cancer-causing drugs, the payout for each plaintiff could easily be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the circumstances.
Why you need to speak with a Zantac attorney right away
Again, there is a legal deadline on Zantac claims, and the legal process is moving forward right now. Getting compensation for a Zantac cancer diagnosis requires a thorough legal investigation and documentation. An attorney may need to track down pharmacy records, prescription records, receipts, and health insurance records to prove that you took Zantac, as well as medical records verifying your cancer diagnosis. The sooner you talk to an attorney, the more likely it is that you will be able to successfully pursue a claim.
If you or someone you love took Zantac and has now been diagnosed with cancer, don’t miss out on your opportunity for accountability and justice. Talk to an experienced Zantac attorney today.
