Judge dismisses ranitidine lawsuits over lack of evidence
Drug degrades to produce nitrosamines, but the judge ruled the link between this and plaintiffs’ cancers could not be proven
A US judge has dismissed more than 5000 lawsuits against manufacturers of ranitidine after finding there was not enough evidence the drug was responsible for patients’ cancers.
Ranitidine, originally branded as Zantac, has been on the market for almost 40 years. It is used to treat indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux, and was the first drug to make $1 billion in sales. However, in 2019 the drug was found to be unstable, producing impurities of the carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). This prompted recalls of the drug and its removal from the market by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2020.