Latest Zantac Study Indicates Increased Risk Of Cancer

Latest Zantac Study Indicates Increased Risk Of Cancer

Introduction

Plaintiffs have submitted supplemental expert reports for evaluation to the U.S. District Judge presiding over the Zantac MDL following the publication of a new study that provides evidence about the Zantac cancer risks.

The Court considered the reports to determine whether there is sufficient reliable scientific support for thousands of lawsuits alleging that the recalled heartburn medication caused cancer.

Zantac (ranitidine) was taken off the market in late 2019 after it was discovered that the active pharmaceutical ingredient is inherently unstable and produces high levels of the chemical byproduct N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a potent human carcinogen.

More than 100,000 Zantac cancer lawsuits have been filed against GlaxoSmithKline, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, Sanofi, and other manufacturers, distributors, and retailers involved in the sale of a brand name or generic ranitidine pills by former users who claim they were diagnosed with bladder cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, or other injuries as NDMA moved through their bodies.

Given the common factual and legal issues raised in Zantac lawsuits filed across the federal court system, centralised pretrial proceedings have been established in a federal MDL before a U.S. District Judge in the Southern District of Florida, who has been presiding over coordinated discovery and a "bellwether" process in which a small group of cases are being prepared for early trial dates.

Before allowing the first Zantac trials to begin, the judge held a series of Zantac "Daubert" hearings over the past several weeks to evaluate the qualifications of various experts who will testify at trial and confirm that the opinions are sufficiently sound and reliable to allow juries to consider the evidence under federal court evidence standards. However, a study released in the midst of these hearings has provided additional support for plaintiffs.

Taiwanese researchers published a study in late September that adds to the evidence that there is a link between Zantac use and several types of cancer, including liver, lung, gastric, and pancreatic cancer.

Researchers conducted a population-based cohort study on over 55,000 people who used Zantac between January 2000 and December 2018. They compared cancer rates among Zantac users to those who used other heartburn medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as Nexium and Prilosec, and Pepcid AC (famotidine).

Zantac use was linked to a 22% increased risk of liver cancer, a 17% increased risk of lung cancer, a 26% increased risk of gastric cancer, and a 35% increased risk of pancreatic cancer, according to the findings.