Zantac lawsuit is filed on behalf of a person if he or she has developed cancer due to Zantac. The manufacturers of Zantac, an over-the-counter prescription for heartburn, are facing a Zantac lawsuit as people claim that the drug contains the hazardous level of N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a substance, which can cause cancer. In this blog, we will be learning everything you need to know about this controversial drug and the lawsuit going on.
What Do We Know So Far About the Lawsuit?
The Food and Drug Administration in the US reported the discovery of harmful carcinogenic contaminant N0nitrosodimenthylamine in the popular heartburn medication Zantac on September 13, 2019. This drug is available in prescription as well as over-the-counter.
Later in April 2020, the FDA orders that all Zantac drugs for heartburn both for prescription and over the counter should be pulled off from the market immediately. The authorities found that that NDMA contamination is a chemical that can cause cancer.
The first Zantac lawsuit was filed in 2019 in California. The plaintiff accused Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturer of drugs of developing, selling, and marketing products that they should contain harmful chemicals that can cause cancer.
The exact reason for this contamination is still to be figured out, and the process is under investigation. However, during the time when Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim were manufacturing the medication, there was a clear scientific link between NDMA and ranitidine, the active ingredient of Zantac. When ranitidine comes in contact, it water, a chemical reaction that can result in the development of NDMA.
What Do We Know About the Complications of NDMA?
NDMA is used in rocket fuel, aviation, and other lubricants used for industrial purposes. It is also used in carcinogenesis in rats for cancer research. Food products and tobacco fumes are other items where you can find the presence of NDMA.
As per the Federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, NDMA is categorized as extremely hazardous. This is why; industries that use this ingredient have to adhere to stringent requirements.
Do You Qualify for Zantac Cancer Lawsuit?
To qualify for this lawsuit or settlement, you need to provide proof that you have used this medication. The use of prescription medication can be easily proved by getting its copy from the pharmacy records.
The use of over the counter Zantac or other products including ranitidine, is more complicated, but if you have notes in medical records, receipts, or any corroborating evidence that support that you took Zantac regularly for a long time period.
The next step is to show that you have an injury, which requires a diagnosis of cancer. This is easy to prove as all you need to get is the medical record from your doctor.
Things get a bit complicated in the next process, where you have to prove that the use of Zantac and cancer are related. There is an array of factors involved in doing the same. You need to prove that you have consistently used the medications in a prescribed manner.
If you can prove all the above, you can win the Zantac lawsuit. Considering that these cases can get quite complicated, it is better to have an experienced lawyer by your side to fight with you.
