Department of Justice Probes Zantac Manufacturers on Potential Fraud Charges
Zantac Lawsuits are being filed nationwide by thousands of people who have taken Zantac or generic Ranitidine and later were diagnosed with cancer after being exposed to high levels of the carcinogen, NDMA. Now, the Justice Department wants answers from Zantac Manufacturers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi. Plaintiffs in the civil suits against GSK and Sanofi claim the companies failed to disclose the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). According to Reuters, Sanofi and GSK both received “civil investigation demands from the Justice Department last month seeking information related to Zantac.”
Zantac Manufacturers Knew the Risks Associated with NDMA in Ranitidine
After the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested Zantac manufacturers recall Zantac and Ranitidine products on April 1, 2020, the DOJ began looking into claims that the pharmaceutical giants that produce ranitidine were failing to disclose to the public and other healthcare providers that Zantac and ranitidine contained NDMA at levels that vastly exceeded the FDA’s daily acceptable intake limit.
Over the past year, thousands of plaintiffs allege both companies failed to warn them and the public of the risks associated with NDMA contained in their medications. Numerous clinical and public studies conducted from the 1980’s through 2020 almost always confirmed the presence of NDMA in ranitidine but the drug manufacturers studies never list it as a substance in their test results and trials.
Zantac Litigation Update
Zantac lawsuits that are in federal court are now part of a multi-district litigation located in the Southern District of Florida in the United States District Court. The defendants in this mass tort are Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, and other Zantac manufacturers. There are currently thousands of cases being sorted through by the District Court. To better organize the order of the case proceedings and to reduce case expenses for firms and clients, the court has ordered a Zantac census be conducted for individuals who have filed Zantac claims.
The Zantac MDL is now open for discovery in the litigation procedure. Judge Rosenberg who is handling the litigation has indicated discovery will last for around 18 months and should be complete by December of 2021. The Zantac MDL has the potential to become a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit if the FDA’s cancer rate estimates on users of Zantac are correct.
FDA Zantac Recall
Valisure Pharmacy is how it all began. In June 2019, the online pharmacy that conducts research on consumer drugs to verify they are chemically sound and safe for consumers released its findings that NDMA was present in all the samples of Zantac and ranitidine tested. In the citizen’s petition sent to the FDA, Valisure urged the FDA to recall all Zantac and Ranitidine products immediately.
The FDA began conducting their own tests which did find some products contained NDMA but it wasn’t until further test results were released confirming the instability of the ranitidine molecule, that the FDA issued a Zantac and ranitidine recall in April of 2020. By that point, thousands of people who took the drug for years and later were diagnosed with cancer had filed lawsuits against the manufacturers.
Financial Compensation for Zantac
If you or your loved ones took Zantac and later were diagnosed with a Zantac cancer or ranitidine cancer, you may be entitled to a Zantac lawsuit against the manufacturers. The makers of Zantac and ranitidine failed to disclose the harmful substances hidden in their medication. They may have known for decades about the dangers of the NDMA present in their medicine and failed to warn consumers about the known dangers. Contact the Drug Attorneys at the Willis Law Firm for a free and confidential Zantac Cancer case evaluation. By calling us or submitting the form on this page, we can quickly determine whether or not you may be entitled to significant financial compensation for your drug injuries. Contact us today!