Zantac Prostate Cancer

For decades, taking Zantac was the way that tens of millions of people dealt with heartburn and acid reflux.

They took their prescription Zantac and generic ranitidine and did not think twice about it. Then, a bombshell report from the online pharmacy Valisure changed everything.

The company tested Zantac and found that it had high levels of a dangerous substance, leading to an increased risk of prostate cancer and other illnesses.

If you or a loved one developed cancer after using these heartburn medications, our law firm can help when you contact us for a free consultation.

Zantac and Ranitidine Products Were Among History's Best-Selling Drugs

Zantac very quickly became a billion-dollar selling drug. It was one of the best-selling and popular drugs in the history of pharmaceuticals. It reached $1 billion in sales in less than three years on the market as a result of ever present and smart marketing that associated heartburn with reaching for a Zantac.

Even though patent protection expired, and Zantac faced competition from proton pump inhibitors, it was still in the top ten of heartburn drugs at the time that it was pulled from the market.

An Online Pharmacy Tests Zantac

It was not the manufacturers who brought the cancer risk from their products to the public's attention, nor was it the FDA.

Instead, it was a small online pharmacy that is committed to safe products and takes it upon itself to test drugs on its own to alert the public to possible dangers.

Valisure has spotted dangers in a number of commonly used products. They have helped inform the public of the following dangers in pharmaceutical and consumer products:

• Testing talc powder for asbestos
• Detecting benzene in sunscreen spray
• Finding NDMA in metformin
• Detecting benzene in hand sanitizers

The Results Caused Drug Manufacturers and Pharmacies to Pull Zantac From the Shelves

Immediately after news of the Valisure test results were released, drug companies and retail markets began to pull Zantac off their shelves. Perhaps they understood the significance of this development and the legal liability that they faced.

Within weeks, nearly all ranitidine products were removed from circulation, as manufacturers waited for even worse test results to emerge.

Given the history that we will detail below, the ranitidine makers were hardly surprised by testing results from one tiny online pharmacy, and these developments were no surprise.

The Food and Drug Administration Recalls Zantac

The FDA was clearly not on the same page as the drug makers and the general public after the news about Zantac being tainted with a cancer linked substance emerged.

The agency went out of the way to reassure the public and minimize the significance of what should have been earth-shattering news. The Food and Drug Administration claimed that the amount of NDMA in Zantac was within the allowable daily range for ingestion.

This turned out to be far from the truth. In actuality, the NDMA levels were far higher. Some batches tested well above the maximum daily limit for NDMA exposure. At these NDMA levels, daily Zantac use dramatically leads to an increased risk of cancer.

Those taking ranitidine have a far higher risk of things like colorectal cancer than the rest of the population.

Roughly six months after the initial news of NDMA contamination broke, a popular heartburn medication was no more.

What Is NDMA?

NDMA is a colorless and odorless liquid. It used to be used in the production of liquid rocket fuel, antioxidants, additives for lubricants and softeners for copolymers. However, it is no longer made industrially in the United States.

However, NDMA forms naturally. For example, it is often found in smoked meats and alcohol. NDMA is not per se dangerous.

There is a safe daily intake of the substance. However, once people are exposed to it in amounts that exceed the maximum intake, they are at increased risk of developing cancer.

How Ranitidine Products Make NDMA

Over the counter Zantac is not tainted because of an impurity in the manufacturing process. Instead, the prevailing scientific theory is that ranitidine will form NDMA on its own over time.

A ranitidine molecule is inherently unstable. Over time, it will change form. Some scientific studies have found that ranitidine is actually a precursor to NDMA.

With Zantac, the manufacturers do not necessarily use NDMA as an active ingredient. The problem is that NDMA will form over time as the product is stored. The problem becomes even worse when Zantac is stored at a higher temperature. In essence, ranitidine makes its own NDMA.

Some studies have even found that ranitidine can produce NDMA inside the body once it is taken. This makes sense due to the high internal temperature of the body. It does not take long for the body to produce its own NDMA.

One 2016 study found that the quantity of NDMA in the urine increased 400-fold in the 24 hours after ranitidine intake.

NDMA Is a Probable Human Carcinogen

All experts agree that there is a connection between NDMA and cancer. Where they may disagree is on the extent of the connection.

According to the World Health Organization, NDMA belongs to a "cohort of concern" due to its cancer risk. According to the WHO, a cohort of concern "is a group of highly potent mutagenic carcinogens that have been classified by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer as probable human carcinogens."

The Environmental Protection Agency also notes that NDMA is of concern because of its "carcinogenicity and toxicity."

How Zantac Causes Bladder Cancer and Prostate Cancer

The irony is that Zantac is supposed to help prevent esophageal cancer by reducing the amount of stomach acid that comes up through the throat. Instead, Zantac causes cancer in ways of its own because of the dangerous composition of a ranitidine molecule.

As you see below, the digestive system and organs that are responsible for cleaning waste out of the body are the most at risk for developing cancer after exposure to NDMA.

The prostate can come into contact with the toxins in NDMA. The urinary and digestive tracts are particularly susceptible to cancers that are linked to NDMA. The toxins can come into contact directly with the prostate gland, causing the growth of a tumor.

Some research has noted that men are far more susceptible to excessive cell growth and cancer from exposure to NDMA than women.

For example, a Florida man recently filed a lawsuit claiming that he had developed prostate cancer after taking Zantac daily for seven years.

He has had surgery to try to remove the cancer. He is one of many to file lawsuits after developing prostate cancer from Zantac use.

Other Cancers Caused by Ranitidine Products

The NDMA exposure from Zantac medications have been linked with the following other types of cancer:

• Liver cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Colon cancer

Any part of the digestive system that has contact with the NDMA is at risk of developing cancer. The Zantac lawsuits have resulted from many different types of cancer.

There have even been researchers that have connected high NDMA exposure to brain cancer. Prostate and brain cancer have been cited in some lawsuits against Zantac makers.

Zantac and Generic Ranitidine Manufacturers Knew About These Issues for Years

As drug makers were reaping billions of dollars of profits from the sales of Zantac and generic ranitidine, a growing body of evidence was showing that these products were dangerous.

There has been scientific research going back almost two decades that discusses the instability of ranitidine and the possibility that it could become tainted with NDMA.

There have even been research studies dating as far back as 1982 that address the possibility that Zantac could cause cancer. This was before Zantac was even on the market!

One key study was released in 2011, eight years before Valisure's tests put in process the end of Zantac. This study looked at eight different pharmaceuticals, and it found that ranitidine was the most likely to form NDMA.

Thus, the news of Valisure's testing results should not have been a bombshell to the companies that made Zantac and the generic equivalents.

Even assuming that the companies did not know of the possibility that ranitidine could form NDMA (which is a stretch in itself), they would have had a legal obligation to investigate further when these studies were released.

They did nothing but continue to sell the medication in the face of possible cancer risk until Valisure forced their hand.

Damages in a Zantac Lawsuit

If you have developed cancer after Zantac use, you may be entitled to the following damages:

• Lost wages for the time that you missed from work because of your illness
• The complete cost of all your medical bills
• Pain and suffering for what you are going through
• Loss of enjoyment of life

One area that could include financial recovery in a Zantac lawsuit is punitive damages. The plaintiffs are all seeking punitive damages against the drug manufacturers.

Juries may be angered by the fact that the companies that sold Zantac for decades, knowing full well of the dangers while continuing to profit handsomely off it.

Punitive damages are rare, and they only happen when the jury wants to send a message to the defendant. However, where the defendant knew of the dangers and deliberately ignored them, are the exact type of legal actions where juries get angry.

Wrongful Death Actions From Zantac Injuries

If your loved one has died from prostate cancer after taking Zantac, your family can file a wrongful death claim against the defendants.

In a wrongful death claim, your family is able to recover for its own damages that it suffered when it lost a loved one.

Wrongful death damages include:

• Lost wages that your loved one would have earned had they been able to work
• Payment for your family's own grief that it suffered from losing a loved one
• Compensation for the loss of a close and loving relationship with your family member
• Payment for the loss of the guidance that you would have received from the deceased person
  Your loved one's estate can also recover financially for what your family member endured before they died in a survival action. Those proceeds are divided amongst the estate beneficiaries in accordance with the terms of the will, since this claim belongs to the estate.

What to Do After a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

While your prostate cancer diagnosis will undoubtedly cause you anxiety and possibly depression, you must also keep one eye on the legal process. You have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit for prostate cancer caused by Zantac.

One of your early calls should be to a lawyer for a free consultation. No matter what, you will get a free consultation. Even if you decide not to end up using the attorney, you will still not have to pay anything.

How Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help

After you have been diagnosed with cancer, an attorney can help you with your claim for financial compensation.

In a product liability case, the most important thing is drafting a strong legal complaint that will explain to the court exactly why you deserve compensation. Your complaint must make your Zantac claims clear and show why the court has jurisdiction over the case.

In addition, your Zantac lawyer will also answer all of your questions and explain your legal options to you.

Where the Zantac Cancer Lawsuits Stand Now

The Zantac lawsuits have been consolidated into multidistrict litigation. This is different than a class action lawsuit. Multidistrict cases are consolidated together right up through the discovery process. In other words, they develop common facts for the jury to consider, but each case is tried individually.

The multidistrict litigation is occurring before Judge Robin Rosenberg in federal court in Florida. She has denied the defendants' motion to dismiss the case, and the lawsuits are proceeding ahead at full speed.

In multidistrict cases, several cases are selected as bellwether cases to be decided first. If the defendant loses those cases, they often try to reach a global settlement afterward because they come to realize their legal risk.

There are some estimates that a global Zantac lawsuit settlement could exceed $10 billion.

Zantac lawsuits have also been filed in state courts throughout the country. There is California litigation, and trials in the Superior Court of Alameda are scheduled to begin in October 2022.

Contact a Zantac Cancer Attorney

Zantac cancer lawyers can help your family when you need to file Zantac lawsuits against the companies that made these drugs and the stores that sold them. For a free consultation with a Zantac lawsuit attorney, call Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers at (888) 424-5757 or contact us online.

Zantac lawsuits take some time, so you should contact an attorney now to discuss your personal injury claims. A Zantac lawyer will speak with you and learn more about your claim.

Our law firm will help you get the legal process started and will represent you at every step of the way as you take on the drug makers whose defective products injured you.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Zantac Lawsuit

Here are the answers to some questions that we are commonly asked about Zantac lawsuits: