Zantac (heartburn drug)

2024: Cancer-causing carcinogens found

In mid-October 2024, British drugmaker GSK announced that it would pay up to $2.2 billion to settle claims related to the development of cancer after using the now discontinued popular heartburn drug Zantac.

GSK, which developed the drug and sold it until 2017, has not admitted responsibility. Evidence of increased cancer risk is still considered mixed, but concerns about it were enough to take the drug off the market. The over-the-counter drug Zantac 360, sold by Sanofi, contains another active ingredient and is not associated with the development of malignant diseases.

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Zantac

In 2019, low concentrations of a carcinogenic pollutant known as NDMA were found in samples of Zantac manufactured by GSK. It was assumed that with long-term storage of the drug, its active substance can decompose with the accumulation of NDMA, creating a risk of cancer in patients. Manufacturers soon voluntarily recalled the drug from the market, and pharmacies seized products from the shelves. Tens of thousands of patients who used Zantac later filed lawsuits against GSK and other manufacturers of the drug Zantac.

The evidence is considered mixed because one study found that patients taking Zantac had no higher risk of developing cancer than people taking other drugs to suppress gastric acid production. Pharmaceutical companies, including Sanofi and, chose Pfizer to meet the risks of patients, although they did not agree to be responsible for the quality of the drug. The GSK agreement would resolve claims by about 80,000 plaintiffs out of. USA The company said it also agreed to pay $70 million to settle a complaint from Valisure's independent laboratory, whose data was used to identify a link between the use of Zantac and the development of cancer. In that lawsuit, Valisure accused GSK of knowing the drug raised its cancer risk and kept quiet about it. The company denies Valisure's allegations.^[1]

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