FDA Zantac Warning: Potential Cancer Risk

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an urgent order asking companies to stop selling all forms of the popular heartburn medication Zantac based on contamination by the potentially cancer-causing chemical NDMA.

IMPORTANT: If you take Zantac or its generic equivalent, ranitidine, the FDA has issued an urgent warning that this medication may be contaminated with potentially cancer-causing NDMA. The FDA advises patients to stop taking over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine to stop taking the medication immediately. Those who take prescription Zantac are encouraged to contact their prescribing physician immediately to discuss potential alternatives.

According to a statement by the FDA, “As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S.”

Zantac is the brand medication of the generic equivalent ranitidine.

The FDA had previously issued a voluntary Zantac recall in early 2020, and major pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and RiteAid pulled Zantac and generic ranitidine from their shelves in late 2019.

Today, the FDA significantly increased its action against Zantac and generic ranitidine, sending letters to all manufacturers requesting that Zantac and ranitidine be pulled from the market immediately.

“We decided that it [Zantac] should not be available to consumers and patients unless its quality can be assured.”

–Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

The FDA noted in its statement that potentially cancer-causing NDMA has not been detected in certain Zantac alternatives like famotidine (Pepcid), omeprazole (Prilosec), cimetidine (Tagamet), esomeprazole (Nexium), and lansoprazole (Prevacid).

FDA Zantac Warning: Evidence of Cancer-Causing Contamination in Zantac

For months, pressure on Zantac manufacturer Sanofi and generic ranitidine manufacturers has mounted as the FDA, independent labs and patients have confronted a disturbing question: does Zantac cause cancer?

In the summer of 2019, an independent lab published alarming data showing that many ranitidine samples it had tested were contaminated with NDMA. The chemical NDMA is classified by the FDA as a “probable human carcinogen,” meaning that it can cause cancer in humans.

As reports of a possible Zantac-cancer connection spread, Zantac lawsuits began to be filed by those who had taken the popular heartburn medication and been diagnosed with cancer.

In February 2020, hundreds of Zantac lawsuits were consolidated into Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) proceedings in the Southern District of Florida.

Have you taken Zantac and been diagnosed with cancer?

FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE: Due to recent developments in the litigation, our firm is no longer accepting Zantac claims. Please stay tuned to our website for the latest information and updates.

If you’ve taken brand-name Zantac and been diagnosed with cancer, potential NDMA contamination may be responsible and you may be entitled to financial compensation.

You may qualify for a Zantac lawsuit if you meet the following criteria:

• Used brand-name Zantac only
• Suffered from at least one of the following cancers:
  • Bladder cancer
  • Liver cancer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Esophageal cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
• Must have used brand-name Zantac after October 1984
• Must have used brand-name Zantac for a minimum of one year
• Must have used brand-name Zantac once per week for a minimum of six months
• Must have been diagnosed with a qualifying cancer within 20 years of last dose
• Must not have been a smoker in the past 20 years if diagnosed with lung cancer
• Must be 64 years of age or younger at the time of diagnosis if diagnosed with prostate cancer

PLEASE NOTE: At this time, the federal MDL has limited the Zantac claims we can accept to bladder, esophageal, stomach, liver, and pancreatic cancers only. We understand that other cancers may be linked, but we are unfortunately unable to assist with these claims at this time due to evidence and recent court rulings.

Certain other criteria may apply. For a FREE, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Zantac lawsuit attorney, please call 1-800-525-7111.

For a FREE consultation with a Zantac cancer lawsuit lawyer at Riddle & Brantley, please call 1-800-525-7111.

There is no obligation and there are no upfront costs or attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive financial compensation.

IMPORTANT: A federal judge recently ruled against lawsuits concerning generic Zantac. At this point, we can only accept cases concerning use of brand-name Zantac OR “mixed” use of brand-name Zantac and generic equivalents.

We believe Justice Counts and our dangerous drug lawyers are committed to holding potentially negligent drug companies accountable.

FEBRUARY 2023 UPDATE: Due to recent developments in the litigation, our firm is no longer accepting Zantac claims. Please stay tuned to our website for the latest information and updates.

Please call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your case. You may be eligible for a Zantac lawsuit and be entitled to significant financial compensation.

For more than three decades, the law firm of Riddle & Brantley has been holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for potential negligence. Our attorneys have more than 220+ years of combined legal experience and we fight tirelessly for injured victims.

Riddle & Brantley is led by founding partner and attorney Gene Riddle, who is a member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, and the National Trial Lawyers Top 100. He has been recognized with the 2014 Litigator Award and has earned a prestigious AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell (see disclaimer below).

“If Zantac was contaminated with potentially cancer-causing NDMA, victims deserve justice and we’re committed to fighting for them.”

-Gene Riddle, attorney and founding partner, Riddle & Brantley

For a FREE consultation with an experienced Zantac cancer attorney, please call 1-800-525-7111 or complete the short form below.

There are no upfront costs and no attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive financial compensation.

Please call 1-800-525-7111 today and let’s review your case.

***Disclaimer: No settlement agreement has been reached in any litigation regarding ranitidine (ZANTAC®), including in the Multidistrict Litigation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (case no. 20-MD-2924). 

*** Disclaimer: An attorney must meet certain requirements to join these organizations or receive these awards. For more information on Membership Criteria for Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100, the Litigator Award and AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, please visit our Membership Criteria page. These awards and memberships should not be construed as a promise or guarantee of a similar result. Each case is different and must be evaluated separately.

*** Disclaimer: The results mentioned are intended to illustrate the type of cases handled by the firm. These results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and they should not be construed to constitute a promise or guarantee of a particular result in any particular case. Every case is different, and the outcome of any case depends upon a variety of factors unique to that case.