First US Trial Over Zantac's Alleged Cancer-Causing Properties Set For November In California

The initial U.S. court trial concerning the antacid medication Zantac is slated to commence on November 13 in a state court in California, as stated by a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. The lawsuit alleges that Zantac is responsible for causing nine different forms of cancer, including colorectal, breast, and bladder cancer.

An anticipated trial involving a different plaintiff was canceled after GSK Plc GSK announced a confidential settlement of an undisclosed amount.

The trial will test the strength of these claims, and its outcome could influence broader settlement negotiations, Reuters reported.

Last August, the plaintiff dismissed GSK's first scheduled Zantac related-cancer trial, noting that it did not settle the claim and has not paid anything in exchange for the voluntary dismissal.

Several lawsuits have been filed in California against GSK, Sanofi SA SNY, Pfizer Inc PFE, and Boehringer Ingelheim, who all sold Zantac at various times.

Last month, Sanofi announced that the tribunal dismissed Boehringer Ingelheim's indemnification claim against Sanofi in an International Chamber of Commerce dispute in cancer lawsuits linked to heartburn drug Zantac (ranitidine) in the U.S.

Zantac, approved in 1983, was one of the top-selling medications in 1988 and one of the first to exceed $1 billion in annual sales.

Zantac sales were suspended by some manufacturers in 2019 due to concerns that its active ingredient, ranitidine, could degrade to form a carcinogenic chemical called NDMA.

The FDA pulled all remaining brand names Zantac, and generic versions from the market in 2020.

In December, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in Florida dismissed about 50,000 claims associated with GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi SA, and Boehringer Ingelheim as a judge found the claims were not backed by solid science.

The remaining cases are in state courts, primarily in Delaware, where over 70,000 cases are pending.

Now Read: Tesla Analyst Gary Black Flags Key Concern Amid Q2 Delivery Cheer: 'I Would Much Prefer...'

Photo: Shutterstock