If you have relied on the popular heartburn medication Zantac or other generic medications that use ranitidine in order to help suppress heartburn and acid in patients, then you may have heard about the ongoing recalls that companies such as Sandoz, Sanofi U.S. LLC, and Apotex Corp, as well as distributors like Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid taking the medicines off of their shelves. While the Food and Drug Administration has been very communicative about the developments surrounding these issues, which stem from cancer-causing chemical N-nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA) being found in certain batches of the medications.
This voluntary recall has been enacted by the aforementioned manufacturers and pharmacies, although it is currently a “voluntary” recall on behalf of the FDA. Other countries have made the recall mandatory, but there is ongoing debate about the actual side effects of the drug and whether or not the amounts found are anywhere near enough to cause cancer in someone who is taking the medicine. It is especially important to note that medications such as Zantac and generic equivalents are not intended to be used long-term, but are only supposed to be short-term solutions or aids.
Read more below to get a better idea of the situation surrounding Zantac, NDMA, and the ongoing recall of these medications, and contact the team at Balkin Law Group as soon as possible. We will get you the help that you need, whether it is getting the right refund from a distributor or pharmacy, or if you need to file a lawsuit or join a class-action lawsuit due to adverse effects of the drug and the contaminants.
What Is NDMA?
Zantac is an acid-reducing medication prescribed by doctors around the world to help people reduce the symptoms of acid reflux. Recently, there have been traces of a medication known as NDMA, which stands for N-nitroso-dimethylamine, in certain doses of the drug. NDMA is found to cause cancers such as stomach cancer, bladder cancer, and a variety of other cancers at high, sustained exposure to the carcinogen.
It is listed as a “possible human carcinogen” because of the possible risks of exposure, although there is ongoing debate about how high the possibility is of this chemical acting as a carcinogen in the low doses found in some of these medications. In class-action lawsuits around the US, some people are claiming that they got cancer as a result of exposure to NDMA, and if you believe that you are one of those people then Balkin Law Group wants to hear your case.
Getting a Zantac Rebate
Most suppliers of the drug Zantac and the generic equivalents containing ranitidine have already begun to offer refunds for any medication that is returned to the pharmacy. CVS said, in a public statement, that even though the FDA has not taken the step to recommend that anyone stop taking Zantac or ranitidine, they will offer a full refund to anyone who chooses to discontinue usage of the medication as a result of the recent findings.
If you are unsure of how to proceed with getting a rebate, or if you believe that you have been injured as a result of these companies distributing medication containing NDMA, contact us now to learn more about your rights and options. Our highly trusted and successful attorneys will be happy to offer you a free initial consultation
Contact Us Today
The sooner you take advantage of the free initial consultation through Balkin Law Group and understand your rights as a consumer and medical patient, the sooner you will be able to reach a conclusion to your situation and learn about how to move forward in the best way possible. Contact us now to schedule your free initial consultation to get started on your case as soon as possible, and get the representation and legal advice that you deserve.