Thousands of Zantac Ranitidine Cancer Lawsuits will be filed in the United States. Plaintiffs claim Ranitidine, the generic name for Zantac heartburn medication, caused various types of stomach cancer. Additionally, the heartburn drug manufacturers failed to warn and protect consumers. Talk to a Tennessee Zantac Lawyer to see if you have a case.
If you were diagnosed with stomach cancer after taking heartburn medication then call Nashville Zantac Lawyer George Angelopoulos at 615-422-7171 or request our Zantac Nashville Class Action Lawsuit team will call you by completing our contact form to start enforcing your rights.
In September 2019, the online pharmacy Valisure informed the FDA they found the carcinogen NDMA in batches of the popular heartburn medication Zantac (Ranitidine). The report prompted the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue a warning addressing the potential risks presented by the medication. Ultimately, Zantac was recalled.
What Is Zantac?
Zantac is a medication that was prescribed for acid reflux and heartburn relief. The drug’s (Ranitidine) H2 blockers reduce the amount of acid produced by the stomach. Available as either an over-the-counter or prescription strength-medication, Zantac became one of the best selling medications in history. Recent medical studies determined Ranitidine contains dangerously high levels of the chemical carcinogen known as NDMA. Even at low doses, the substance can be dangerous.
NDMA Dangers
N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is an unstable chemical and classified as a carcinogen by most health organizations. The chemical is found in both industrial and natural processes. It is classified as a probable carcinogen, a cancer-causing chemical, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. NDMA acts as a carcinogen “because it modifies your DNA,” Dr. William Mitch, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and wastewater expert at Stanford University, said in an interview with ABC news.
NDMA ingestion can lead to various cancers. The FDA ordered a Zantac recall in April 2020. Even though Zantac had largely disappeared from store shelves after the FDA’s announcements of its testing results, the recall constituted an additional effort to prevent people from being exposed to the deadly medication. This recall means that Zantac, as well as other Ranitidine containing products, are not available for either new or existing prescriptions.
Ranitidine Complications and Injuries
NDMA causes cancer and is also a hepatotoxin. Short-term exposures can result in liver damage. Long-term exposures can increase the risk of lung, kidney, and liver tumors. Exposure to NDMA can cause the following symptoms: Fever, Headache, Nausea, Vomiting, Jaundice, Abdominal cramping, Liver enlargement, Reduced liver functioning, Reduced kidney functioning, Reduced lung functioning and Dizziness.
Additional complications include: Irregular heartbeat, Nervous system disorders, Hepatitis and liver failure, Vitamin B-12 deficiency, Low blood platelet levels, Increased pneumonia risk, Hair loss, Skin rashes and Stomach cancer.
Randitine has been linked to many different digestive system cancers, including cancers of the esophagus, liver, kidney, throat, gall bladder, small and large intestine, anus, bladder, appendix, pancreas, and others.
Do you need a Nashville Zantac Lawyer?
Parties in the Zantac class action include anyone who uses the medication routinely for any extended period. The individual must also have been subsequently diagnosed with cancer. Our law firm is currently reviewing Zantac claims where victims meet the following criteria:
- Must have used brand name Zantac OR generic brand (Ranitidine) for a minimum of 1 year after October 1984.
- Must have been diagnosed with either: Stomach Cancer, Liver Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Small Intestine/Colorectal Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Prostate Cancer (if Age at a diagnosis under 65), Pancreatic Cancer, Leukemia, Non- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, or Kidney (Renal) Cancer
- Must have been diagnosed with one of the above injuries at least 1 year after use, but within 20 years of the last dose.
- No previous Cancer.
Drug Manufacture Lawsuits
Claims against Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim, the makers of the name-brand medication, are filed. The plaintiffs accuse the companies of manufacturing a drug and selling it to the public that they knew or should have known contained NDMA, a known carcinogen.
It is unclear what caused the contamination of the drug to occur. However, research from Stanford indicates that the main ingredient of the drug may break down and form NDMA during the digestion process. In that study, people who took the medication had increased levels of NDMA in their urine.
Under product liability laws, Drugmakers can be held to be liable when they design, manufacture, and market drugs that are unreasonably dangerous and that seriously injure people. By filing lawsuits against these and other drugmakers, people might recover compensation to pay for their losses.
Zantac Lawsuit Overview
As of March 2020, 140 cancer cases involving Zantac were filed in Federal Court. Many legal experts believe these lawsuits are the first of many. Plaintiffs’ lawyers filed a motion to consolidate all pending federal court cases to a single federal court. Zantac lawsuits are now consolidated in Florida under Judge Rosenberg. Following an appointment to the bench in 2014, this is the first multidistrict legislation in which Judge Rosenberg has been involved.
In April 2020, Judge Rosenberg ordered a two-part census of both filed and unfiled Zantac cancer claims. Details from this census will be used to help Judge Rosenberg select attorneys with the most clients to serve on a plaintiff leadership committee during the legislation.
The unfiled claim part of this census also requires plaintiffs with filed cases to provide additional detailed information about their Zantac use and physical injuries. This data will be used to help Judge Rosenberg obtain a better of the scope of alleged Zantac usage and resulting injuries.
To become part of this lawsuit, a person must complete a detailed questionnaire about their medical history. After doing this, Zantac impacted parties wait for an outcome. While the results of the case are uncertain, drug companies often aggressively defend medication lawsuits.
Drug manufacturers will likely argue that preemption of lawsuits has occurred because the Supreme Court has already held generic drugs must have a warning that they are identical to their brand-name counterpart. Preemption, however, is only a valid defense when victims claim that a drug was defectively designed. Zantac cases, however, do not involve design defect allegations.
How 615 Lawyer Can Help
Defective drug claims are complex. The drug makers are mega corporations with teams of defense attorneys on staff. People who file lawsuits against large corporations without legal representation likely will not win. Substantial work is required and George Angelopoulos associates with Class Action Law firms across the United States to represent injured Tennesseans in mass tort claims. Complete our contact form to request a review or call us at 615-422-7171. There is never an attorney fee unless compensation for your injuries is received.