If you or a loved one has taken Zantac and developed cancer as a result, you deserve compensation. The Columbus Zantac lawyers at Babin Law, LLC have years of experience representing clients in product defect and personal injury cases. Read on to find out how our Columbus personal injury attorneys may be able to help.
When you take medication, you expect it to provide beneficial results that help relieve your condition. Unfortunately, they can sometimes have unwanted – and unlisted – side effects of which consumers were not fully warned.
Many companies do not do the required amount of testing or simply misrepresent results to push their product through, even if they are aware it may be unsafe. The FDA is too busy to do its own testing on each product, providing the opportunity for companies to get away with this type of activity. As a result, medications go on the market that may cause health conditions that make the user worse off than they were when they first sought treatment.
Zantac is a heartburn medication that first came out in 1981. It has recently been found to have unsafe levels of nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a material classified as a possible carcinogen (cancer causing agent).
Zantac History
Zantac was introduced by Glaxo Holdings (now GlaxoSmithKline) as a competitor to the successful ulcer medication Tagamet. It hit the market in Britain and Italy in 1981 and obtained FDA approval to be sold in the United States in 1983.
By 1988, Zantac was one of the world’s best-selling drugs and one of the first to reach a billion dollars in sales.
When Glaxo’s patent expired in 1997, generics hit the market. Over the counter versions of Zantac were used to treat heartburn. The medication was also prescribed by doctors to treat health conditions like stomach ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and other conditions where the stomach produces too much acid. It was even prescribed for children.
According to Web MD, over 15 million prescriptions for ranitidine, the active ingredient in Zantac, are written annually. That’s on top of the many consumers who buy it over the counter.
How Does Zantac Work?
Zantac’s active ingredient ranitidine belongs to the class of drugs known as histamine-2 (H2) blockers. The histamines act on receptors in the stomach that produce acid and aid food digestion. They block receptor activity to reduce acid production. This helps relieve symptoms associated with indigestion and it allows ulcers to heal.
Zantac Issues
On Sept. 9. 2019, Valisure filed an FDA citizen petition requesting a recall on all products containing ranitidine being sold in the United States. The company cited the product as containing extremely high levels of NDMA in “every lot tested across multiple manufacturers and dosage forms.” They noted that levels found were more than 31,000 times higher than the FDA’s permissible intake.
The petition caused the FDA to launch an investigation and Sanofi, and other generic ranitidine manufacturers, voluntarily pulled their products off the shelves. On November 1, 2019, the FDA posted an update stating their investigation revealed NDMA levels in ranitidine were not as high as Valisure had reported. However, they were still above what is considered acceptable.
How Dangerous is Zantac?
Those taking Zantac may be concerned for their health. So, exactly how dangerous is the medication?
According to the FDA, taking Zantac is just about as unhealthy as eating foods like smoked meats. However, Valisure says they are very concerned about the levels of NDMA they found in the drug. A spokesman was quoted as saying, “To have 3 mg of carcinogen being able to be formed by ranitidine is extremely concerning for us.”
Doctors like gastroenterologist Emeran A. Mayer have weighed in saying that patients should not only be concerned about the levels of NDMA found in ranitidine, but how long they have been taking the drug. Individuals that have been using it on a long-term basis are more likely to develop health issues.
Ranitidine has been known to cause several medical conditions and side effects. These include nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal cramps, dizziness, and yellowing of the skin. Taking high levels of the drug can cause reduced lung and kidney function, bladder cancer, testicular cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, and more.
What Should I Do If I Used Zantac?
If you have taken a ranitidine product and have experienced side effects, talk to the doctor right away. If you don’t have any symptoms, you may also want to talk to a health care provider to discuss alternate medications.
If you used Zantac or generic ranitidine for more than a year and were then diagnosed with bladder, colorectal, intestinal, stomach, gastric, kidney, liver, lung, pancreatic, prostate, or breast cancer, you may be eligible for compensation. Talk to a Columbus Zantac attorney to find out how they can help you take legal action.
What Kind of Compensation Can I Get in a Zantac Lawsuit in Columbus?
The compensation you may get in a Zantac/ranitidine lawsuit will vary depending on the extent of your injury and your personal situation. Here’s what you may be looking at.
Economic Damages: Economic damages cover current and future medical expenses, lost wages, and loss of future earning potential.
Noneconomic Damages: The injuries incurred while taking Zantac can greatly reduce quality of life. At fault parties may be responsible for compensating you for damages for emotional pain and suffering. It is difficult to put a monetary value on these intangible elements, but your Columbus Zantac lawyer will use their years of experience to come up with an amount that is fair.
Babin Law, LLC May Be Able to Assist With Your Columbus Zantac Claim
Going up against a big pharma company can be intimidating. A reliable Columbus Zantac lawyer can be a great asset to your case.
Babin Law, LLC has extensive experience in Columbus product defect and personal injury claims. If retained, we will fight to try to get you the best possible outcome. We will work hard to ensure justice is served.
Don’t let big businesses get away with releasing unsafe products on the market. Contact Babin Law, LLC to schedule a free evaluation. If you have been injured, we want to help you fight to get the compensation you deserve.
