Dangerous Drugs - Zantac
I. What is Zantac?
“Zantac” is the brand name of a common heartburn drug called ranitidine that’s caused a commotion in the legal market. In 2019, the FDA announced that low levels of NDMA, a known carcinogen, have been found in Zantac. There are many existing lawsuits against the manufacturers of Zantac alleging that the drug producers knew of an impurity called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in Zantac’s ingredients. As of April 2020, all ranitidine products have been taken off the market.
The FDA has a long-list of announcements about this drug.
II. How Do I Know if I Have a Claim Against Zantac?
Confirm that you took Zantac. Check your medicine cabinets! Zantac has been marketed as both a prescription medication, and an over the counter medication. If you’ve been prescribed Zantac, you will be able to prove that you’ve been taking Zantac by obtaining a copy of your pharmacy records. However, proving the use of over-the-counter Zantac is more complicated. To prove over-the-counter use, you will likely need receipts, notes on your medical record, or testimony from people you’re living with or have lived with.
Confirm that you’ve taken Zantac for a significant amount of time. You could possibly have a Zantac claim if you’ve taken Zantac on a regular basis for at least six months.
Confirm related diagnoses. If you’ve been diagnosed with liver, stomach, bladder, breast, intestinal, colorectal or esophageal cancer after taking Zantac, then you may qualify for compensation. These specific cancers have been closely linked to NDMA ingestion, which is an ingredient in Zantac.
Contact an attorney. You can contact Blaszkow Legal to speak with one of our attorneys who can help assess any claims that you may have and to help you better understand the Zantac cancer issues and lawsuit process.
Resources:
Martin P. Schrama & Stefanue Colella-Walsh, FDA Zantac Recall: Too Little, Too Late. (Apr. 10, 2020).
James M. Beck, Zantac Chronicles - No Innovative, or Innovator, Liability, Drug & Device Law, (Feb. 15, 2020).