You have likely seen television advertisements for Zantac over the course of your lifetime. West Virginians and individuals around the country have reached for the heartburn drug in large numbers since it was introduced to the market. Now, Zantac seems to have been permanently pulled from store shelves because of the presence of a contaminant in the medication that is a possible carcinogen.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Zantac
Consumers are beginning to file lawsuits against the maker of Zantac. They claim that the medication caused their cases of cancer. The plaintiffs allege that the maker of the product knew for years that Zantac contained this possible contaminant yet hid this knowledge and did nothing to warn the public of the dangers of the drug. The number of lawsuits has reached into the thousands, and experts expect that many more lawsuits will be filed.
Zantac contains a substance that can be a carcinogen
The court actions stem from the September 2019 discovery that Zantac was tainted. The drug contains a substance known as NDMA. When a person’s exposure rises above the daily allowable intake, the substance might cause cancer. Some lab testing shows that Zantac contains as much as 31,000 times the daily recommended limit for NDMA intake. After the FDA test results were released, drug manufacturers and pharmacies rushed to voluntarily recall this product. As more testing results became public, it became apparent that the recall was going to be permanent.
If you have taken Zantac or any generic version of the drug, the first thing that you should do is stop taking it. Then, if you believe that you were sickened by the drug, you may want to consult with a mass torts attorney to learn more about your legal rights. Given that millions of people have taken Zantac on a prolonged basis over the years, this may turn into a very large mass tort case.
