A couple has filed a Zantac lawsuit after the husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, allegedly caused by his use of the popular antacid.

Lead plaintiff Douglas K. has filed suit for personal injuries, while his wife Deborah K. is named as a plaintiff with a derivative consortium claim.

Douglas said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016. He claims he has no illnesses or family history that would place him at risk for cancer. He said the sole item he has ingested for years that purportedly can cause cancer is Zantac, generically known as ranitidine. He said he took the medication to treat acid reflux and indigestion issues that plagued him.

Zantac Pulled from Market

On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that all forms of ranitidine, including the Zantac brand, would be removed from shelves. At that time, the FDA said its ongoing investigation found that a contaminant called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) was found in ranitidine and the impurity’s levels increased over time and when the medication was stored at a temperature higher than the average room temperature setting.

NDMA is considered a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, which recognizes the contaminant can occur in drinking water through the chemical degradation of rocket fuel or other industrial chemical run-off materials.

Certain blood pressure medications were found to be contaminated with NDMA a couple of years ago, but those contaminations were allegedly related to how the drug was manufactured.

In the case of ranitidine, the NDMA purportedly is generated from the medication itself and not from any source of contamination.

Zantac Lawsuit Filed After Taking Drug More Than 20 Years

According to the Zantac lawsuit, Douglas took Zantac about 300 days per year for approximately 21 years. He estimates that about 200 days of the year, he took the 150 mg Zantac tablets, and on the other 100 days of any given year, he took the 75 mg Zantac product.

A mail order pharmacy, Valisure, found the NDMA in ranitidine and conducted further tests. By testing the drug in a solution meant to mimic stomach acid and at the temperature of the human body, Valisure said it found the chemicals in Zantac would become unstable and could give rise to the formation of NDMA.

The FDA recognizes that traces of NDMA is found in some foods, especially those processed with nitrites, and considers a level of 96 ng per day of NDMA exposure to be a safe amount for most people. According to Valisure’s test results, Zantac can produce 304,500 ng of NDMA from just one tablet.

“This would be approximately more than 3,150 times the amount that can be safely ingested daily,” claims the ranitidine lawsuit.

Zantac was approved for prescription use by the FDA in 2983, and by 1988, Zantac was the best-selling drug in the world.

Plaintiff Douglas says in his lawsuit that he never would have taken Zantac if he had known the drug could release a carcinogenic substance into his body. He says his work life and personal life have been totally disrupted since his cancer diagnosis because he has suffered depression, anxiety, sleep problems, loss of self-confidence, and an impaired ability to focus or remain attentive.

His wife claims she’s deprived of her husband’s care, comfort and companionship, while also being called upon to provide emotional and physical comfort care and support for Douglas as he battles cancer.

The Zantac Lawsuit is Case No. D01C1200004392, in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska.