Zantac Cancer Lawsuits

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Zantac is a medication used for the treatment of hyperacidity and peptic ulcer. Ranitidine is the generic name of this medication. It works by blocking Histamine 2 receptors in the stomach. However, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had announced that some OTC Ranitidine products may be contaminated with a substance called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). This substance is defined as a human carcinogen. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed Ranitidine to remain on the market. On the other hand, some drugmakers have issued voluntary recalls and some pharmacies have pulled it off the shelves.

Zantac (Rantidine)

What Is Zantac?

Zantac is an OTC heartburn medication. It was manufactured by Sanofi. It can be used to treat ulcers of the stomach and intestines and prevent them from coming back after they have healed. This drug is also used to treat certain stomach and esophageal problems such as erosive esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heartburn, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, stress-induced ulcers, postoperative ulcers, and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. It works to reduce heartburn symptoms by binding to proteins in the stomach called histamine H2 receptors. Normally, after eating or drinking, a person's body releases a hormone called gastrin to aid digestion by increasing the movement of the stomach. Also, this hormone prompts the release of histamine, which then binds to H2 receptors and causes the release of gastric acid to help break down foods. However, if a patient suffers from heartburn, the lower esophageal sphincter weakens or relaxes when it shouldn’t. As a result, acid reflux can occur and lead to heartburn.

Zantac Precautions

This medication can enter breast milk and be ingested by a feeding infant. As a result, healthcare professionals are advised to exercise caution when prescribing this medication during breastfeeding. Zantac decreases the secretion of stomach acid. Therefore, it increases the risk of acute gastroenteritis and community-acquired pneumonia in children. There are some risk factors that increase the incidence of adverse reactions. Patients who have kidney or liver impairment should exercise caution when using this medication.

Zantac Side Effects

This medication may cause several side effects, such as:

• Agitation
• Hallucinations
• Headache
• Constipation
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Unusual bleeding
• Extreme fatigue
• Insomnia
• Rash
• Vertigo
• Infection
• Tachycardia
• Bradycardia
• Atrioventricular block
• Vitamin B12 deficiency
• Liver failure
• Hepatitis
• Infectious diarrhea
• Cholestatic hepatitis
• Jaundice
• Premature ventricular beats
• Pneumonia
• Thrombocytopenia

• Mental confusion
• Depression

What Is NMDA?

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was used to make rocket fuel years ago. However, this substance was banned from that process after high levels of the chemical were found in the water, air, and soil samples around rocket fuel manufacturing plants. Humans can be exposed to this substance through a wide variety of sources, such as:

• Tobacco smoke and chewing tobacco
• The air, rivers and lakes, and soil
• Toiletry and cosmetic products
• Cured meat, beer, fish, and cheese
• Detergents and pesticides
• Interior air of cars

Moreover, it can even form in the stomach during digestion of alkylamine-containing foods. NDMA has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a human carcinogen. Several studies have shown the substance to increase cancer risk in animal experiments. In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed studies that addressed NDMA’s effects on humans and reported that there was a positive relationship with the intake of NDMA and gastric cancer. The FDA has so far labeled this substance as an impurity found in Zantac and other OTC Ranitidine products. However, Valisure; an online pharmacy disagrees, stating NMDA is a natural by-product of the ingredients used to make the drug. The online pharmacy believes it has discovered the link between Zantac and its generics to NDMA.

During the digestive process, Zantac interacts with the stomach in a warm environment, and that heat could potentially transform this medication into NDMA. Many countries such as France, Canada, and Austria have recalled all forms of Ranitidine products from their markets after detecting NDMA. However, this medication remains available in the United States. The latest update from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that it continues to test Ranitidine products from multiple manufacturers and is assessing the potential outcome on individuals who have been taking the medication. It’s also requested that drugmakers conduct their own lab tests to assess the level of NDMA in their products and to send samples to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for additional testing.

Can Zantac Cause Cancer?

In September 2019, Valisure, an online pharmacy found the N-Nitrosodimethylamine contamination in Zantac during routine analysis of drug products in its pharmacy. Valisure informed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) that it had found the cancer-causing chemical N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in some batches of Zantac. There are claims that Zantac may cause high levels of Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) exposure in patients. The recent studies have confirmed that the unstable molecules of this medication break down in the digestive tract to create harmful levels of Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) especially if it comes into contact with nitrites in the digestive tract. As a result, significant Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) exposure could result from taking Zantac or generic Ranitidine products, regardless of where they were manufactured.

Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a compound that is probably carcinogenic to humans. Moreover, NDMA is listed by the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) as a compound reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. NDMA exposure is commonly linked to liver, stomach, small intestine, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. Moreover, in more limited circumstances, it may cause prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and Multiple Myeloma. However, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) had a relatively restrained reaction and suggested that the high level of NDMA may have been produced by exposure to high temperatures during testing that may have caused the medication to break down into NDMA. on the other hand, many experts disagree strongly with the FDA’s initial position and drug company and distributors have participated in massive voluntary recalls and been forced to conduct their own ongoing testing.

Zantac Lawsuits

A class action lawsuit was filed against the drugmaker (Sanofi). The lawsuit says the Sanofi hid the risk of cancer and knowingly produced and sold Zantac with a strong carcinogen called NDMA to millions of patients for the treatment of heartburn and other gastrointestinal problems. Other lawsuits have been filed by many patients who have cancer after taking this medication. These lawsuits claim that the manufacturer did not take adequate steps to ensure the purity of the drug or warn about the risks of taking it. For example, a Florida man who took this medication 4 to 5 times weekly between 1985 and 2019 filed a lawsuit after suffering from kidney cancer in 2017. Another lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Denver on October 21, 2019, by someone who had taken this medication for 23 years and had been diagnosed with bladder cancer. A patient who took this medication or other OTC Ranitidine products for at least 5 years and was diagnosed with stomach or bladder cancer may be eligible to file a Zantac lawsuit to pursue compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other damages.

References

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