The human carcinogen found in Zantac is known as N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA. While this chemical was initially developed as a fuel source for rockets, it has not been widely used since unsafe levels were detected in the air, water, and soil surrounding manufacturing plants. Testing in animals indicates that NDMA may cause cancer when consumed by humans, as the chemical can alter your DNA.

NDMA is found in everything from tobacco, to cars, to toiletry and cosmetic products, to detergents and pesticides, to foods including meat, beer, fish, and cheese. Small amounts of NDMA are safe, so individuals who only took Zantac or another Ranitidine product once in awhile are unlikely to experience any health issues. However, those that regularly used the drug for 1-5 years may have been overexposed to NDMA, potentially leading to severe side effects and ongoing health problems.

Zantac has commonly been prescribed to treat everything from ulcers, to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), to chronic indigestion. For individuals who have been taking the drug for 1-5 years for any of these conditions, their risk for certain types of cancers may be increased.

Following the FDA’s initial Zantac recall, several lawsuits were filed against drug manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis LLC and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, the company that held the rights to the medication. Plaintiffs in these suits have pointed to the FDA’s finding that Zantac contains roughly 26,000 times more of the NDMA impurity than the government regulator normally allows. This litigation has opened up other drug manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies that were forced to recall Ranitidine products to legal action as well.

If you or someone you know has received a cancer diagnoses following prolonged Ranitidine use, you should consider hiring a Houston Zantac cancer attorney from Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs. Our professional legal team has recovered millions of dollars in settlements and compensation for clients, and has been providing compassionate representation for complex litigation since 1992. We are backed by over 100 years of combined experienced, and provide free consultations, so you always feel completely comfortable before we take your case. Contact Fibich, Leebron, Copeland & Briggs for tenacious but caring legal counsel, and take the fight to the pharmaceutical giants ASAP.