Zantac

Did Zantac Make You Sick?

All ranitidine medications sold under the brand name Zantac have been recalled and taken off store shelves by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall began as a voluntary act by the distributing companies of the drugs but has now been taken over by the FDA to ensure that as few people continue to take Zantac as possible. The main concern around the health risks of the drug involves a carcinogenic chemical that was introduced through impurities during manufacturing.

It seems every year there is a recall of a major medication. We at The Husband & Wife Law Team are tired of pharmaceutical companies neglecting to properly test their medications or properly inform the public when life-threatening issues are found. If you believe that you have developed cancer as a direct result of Zantac use, then you need an experienced Phoenix Zantac recall attorney by your side. Contact our firm and find out if you have a case.

What Is Zantac?

Zantac is a ranitidine medication that is primarily used to treat heartburn and ulcers. There are both prescription strength and over-the-counter versions, meaning the impact of this recall is huge. An estimated 15 million Americans have been prescribed Zantac, and several million more have taken the over-the-counter variations. Both heartburn and ulcers are incredibly common conditions that impact a large percentage of Americans every year. Zantac, being a commonly used brand, has put these people at a high risk for eventually developing cancer.

The Recall and Risks

The recall first began in 2019, after tests found high levels of a carcinogenic chemical, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), in ranitidine medications, including the prominent brand name drug Zantac. The tests found NDMA levels that exceeded 3,000,000 nanograms. The daily limit found to be acceptable by the FDA is just 96 nanograms. Only a few weeks after this discovery, the FDA began recommending recalls of all ranitidine medications.

After the recommended recalls, a number of chain drug stores announced they would stop carrying Zantac, per FDA regulations. The company Sandoz quickly followed suit, recalling all generic ranitidine in September 2019. Not long after that, two drug companies, Appco Pharma LLC and Northwind Pharmaceuticals, announced they would be recalling all ranitidine medications distributed by their companies.

However, Sanofi, the manufacturer of Zantac, did not issue a recall, despite several other companies already taking this step. They informed reporters that the level of NDMA did not exceed the amounts that could be found in common foods. This was an incredibly negligent decision, as it meant certain drugstores still carrying Zantac would continue to stock their shelves with the cancer causing medication. While they did eventually recall all Zantac drugs, they took several weeks to do so, potentially putting millions of Americans at risk for developing cancer.

As of March 2020, over a dozen ranitidine manufacturers and distributers have recalled their products. All companies are currently administering FDA approved tests to check the NDMA levels in their drugs to make sure they are within FDA recommendations. It is believed that the high levels of NDMA came from imperfections within the medication and manufacturing process, which is why the issue was not caught sooner.

What Are the Potential Long-Term Effects?

NDMA is a known carcinogenic chemical, meaning that enough exposure to it will cause a person to develop cancer. It has been discovered that Zantac and other generic ranitidine medications have levels of NDMA that far exceed the recommended limit. The most common cancers that seem to develop as a result of Zantac are liver, stomach, and bladder cancers. Each of these cancers are incredibly dangerous, although they have their own levels of survival rates.

Stomach Cancer: The unfortunate fact of stomach cancer is that it is often only caught after the cancer has already spread to the rest of the body. The five-year survival rate is just 32%. However, if the cancer is caught before it spreads to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate goes up to 69%.

Liver Cancer: Similar to stomach cancer, liver cancer is often not caught until it has already started to spread to other areas of the body. The five-year survival rate for liver cancer is 33%. If caught in the early stages, however, the survival rate goes up to 60-70%.

Bladder Cancer: Out of the three cancers that seem to be caused by Zantac, bladder cancer has the highest five-year survival rate at 70-96%. This cancer is most often found in the early stages, which means it is easier to treat successfully.

Your best chance of surviving any of these cancers is finding them as early as possible. If you have taken Zantac or other generic ranitidine medications, you should speak to a healthcare provider immediately. Explain to them that you have used this drug, whether it be over-the-counter or prescription, as well as the fact that it has increased your chances of developing stomach, liver, and bladder cancer. You should then go through several tests in order to determine if these cancers have started to develop. Experts recommend that you seek multiple tests over the course of a few years. Cancerous cells may not be immediately evident, and one negative test does not mean you won’t develop cancer as a result of Zantac later down the road.

You Need an Attorney

It is very likely that Zantac manufacturing companies either neglected to run proper tests on their drugs or did run the tests and neglected to inform the public of the alarming results. Pharmaceutical companies must be held to a high standard, as the drugs and medications they produce, if not properly tested, can easily cause the deaths of millions. If you have taken Zantac and believe that your cancer stems from the medication, you deserve compensation from the company that put your life at risk.

The Husband & Wife Law Team believe that companies should be held liable when they put profits over the lives of their customers. That is why our product liability attorneys fight for the justice and compensation you so rightly deserve. To begin talking through your case, call us