The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on April 1, 2020 that manufacturers remove all prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine drugs from the market immediately. This is the latest step in an ongoing investigation of a contaminant known as N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in ranitidine medications, commonly known by its brand name Zantac.
Zantac is a popular over the counter and prescription heartburn medication used by millions of Americans each year. The FDA sent out an advisory on September 13, 2019, after discovering the carcinogenic NDMA in ranitidine (the active ingredient in Zantac), registered at levels between 3,000 to 26,000 times higher than FDA approved standards. Exposure to NDMA has been linked to numerous complications including liver fibrosis, reduced function of the liver, kidney and lungs, and numerous types of cancers.
Toxic levels of the carcinogenic NDMA increase over time, especially if tablets and capsules are stored at higher temperatures. Drug makers Sanofi, Pfizer Inc., and Boehringer Ingelheim knew that ranitidine metabolized into unsafe levels of NDMA but did not disclose this risk to consumers or the government.
The carcinogenic NDMA found in Zantac has been linked to the development of the following cancers:
- Liver
- Kidney
- Gastric
- Colorectal
- Stomach
- Prostate
- Throat
- Esophageal
- Nasal
- Kidney (Renal Cell)
- Pancreatic
- Lung
- Testicular
- And more
The attorneys at Wooten Kimbrough Damaso & Dennis, P.A. represent victims who have been seriously injured by defective and dangerous products, including pharmaceuticals, medical products, tire, automobile, and aircrafts, firearms, and machinery. If you or a loved one has taken Zantac and suffered serious injury or developed any of the above-mentioned cancers, contact our law firm today for a free case evaluation.