A New York woman claiming that the antacid medication Zantac resulted in her husband developing terminal bladder cancer has filed a Zantac cancer lawsuit against several pharmaceutical companies and retail stores that sold the medication.

Widow Claims Contaminated Zantac Caused Husband’s Death

According to plaintiff Jacqueline S., Zantac contaminated with a known carcinogen caused her husband’s cancer diagnosis as well as his death in March 2018. Jacqueline claims that her husband took Zantac for 19 years, between 2000 and 2019. In late 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that many medications containing ranitidine, or Zantac, were contaminated with N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). NDMA is a known carcinogen believed to increase the risk of several cancers, including bladder cancer. According to Jacqueline, NDMA is extremely dangerous to human health. In addition to being a byproduct created during the production of rocket fuel, it is also used in laboratory experiments to induce tumors in animals.

The defendants in Jacqueline’s Zantac cancer lawsuit include pharmaceutical companies and retailers who produce and sell brand name and generic Zantac — Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi US Services, Chattem, GlaxoSmithKline, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Costco. According to the lawsuit, these companies have failed consumers by being negligent in their development, testing, and labeling of these drugs. With millions of consumers relying on ranitidine and Zantac to control gastric issues including stomach and intestinal ulcers, erosive esophagitis, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, (GERD), or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, these people may be at risk of developing cancer caused by the very drugs meant to improve their health. Additionally, many people who use the drug take it on a daily basis. If the medication is contaminated, this long term exposure to NDMA may increase the likelihood of developing cancer. Although the level of NDMA found in Zantac is barely greater than the amount that’s found in foods like smoked meats and cheeses, it is higher than what the FDA permits in pharmaceuticals.

About the Zantac Recall

Zantac and ranitidine have been available to consumers without a prescription since 1996, and sales of the drug bring in hundreds of millions of dollars each year. After the NDMA contamination was discovered in September 2019, retailers and manufacturers began pulling the drug from store shelves. The FDA announced a recall the following month.

Although the cause of the contamination was initially believed to be the result of a change in the manufacturing process, it’s now believed that NDMA present in Zantac is produced through a reaction, or break down, of the drug’s own molecular structure. If NDMA is produced as a byproduct of the breakdown of ranitidine, the carcinogen may be present in all brands and lot numbers. NDMA may be formed by a breakdown of the drug during storage, or it may be formed as the drug breaks down inside the body, according to a CBS News report.

Additionally, Zantac’s NDMA levels may be impacted by improper storage or temperature fluctuations, which may cause it to break down more quickly and have a higher concentration of NDMA.

Filing a Zantac Cancer Lawsuit

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer after taking brand name Zantac or a generic version of ranitidine, you may be eligible to join or file a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of these medications. Speaking to an experienced attorney about your legal options may be the first step in pursuing compensation for medical expenses, injuries, pain and suffering, or wrongful death.

Jacqueline’s Zantac Cancer Lawsuit is Case No. 1:20-cv-03944, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.