In a landmark decision on Thursday, a Chicago jury dismissed an Illinois woman’s claim that the heartburn medication Zantac caused her colon cancer. This trial, the first of many similar lawsuits, saw 89-year-old Angela Valadez failing to convince the Cook County jury that her long-term use of Zantac was linked to her illness.
The pharmaceutical giants GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim successfully argued that Valadez did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that Zantac, which she used from 1995 to 2014, was responsible for her cancer. The plaintiff’s legal team had sought $640 million in damages, although a request for punitive damages was denied by the judge.
Valadez’s attorneys contended that the drug’s active ingredient, ranitidine, could transform into the carcinogenic substance NDMA under certain conditions. Despite this claim, GSK and Boehringer stood firm on the assertion that no scientific research substantiates a connection between Zantac and cancer. They also questioned the evidence regarding the duration Valadez claimed to have taken the medication and pointed to her multiple risk factors for developing colon cancer.
GSK and Boehringer hailed the verdict as a validation of the scientific consensus on Zantac’s safety. Both companies remain resolute in their defense against ongoing litigation.
Originally launched in 1983, Zantac soared to prominence, becoming the world’s top-selling drug by 1988. However, it was pulled from the market in 2020 after the FDA detected NDMA in samples. This led to an avalanche of lawsuits, many of which are still making their way through the courts. A significant blow to the plaintiffs came in 2022 when a federal judge dismissed approximately 50,000 claims, citing insufficient scientific evidence. That decision is currently under appeal.
While several cases have been settled, including a recent $250 million agreement by Pfizer, thousands remain unresolved. Meanwhile, Sanofi has introduced Zantac360, a reformulated version of the medication, as the legal battles over its predecessor continue.
