The consumer rights law firm seeks to establish medical monitoring after manufacturers allegedly failed to warn consumers about cancer-causing agent
CHICAGO –Elizabeth A. Fegan, founder and managing partner of FeganScott, was recently appointed to the steering committee in the U.S. district court class action litigation involving Zantac, the heartburn medication that is alleged to produce a clinically proven carcinogen in the body at levels far beyond what regulators consider safe.
FeganScott filed a national class action lawsuit against Zantac in November 2019, claiming that the pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi (SNY), among others, failed to warn consumers that Zantac and its generic active ingredient, ranitidine, could cause cancer in consumers when ranitidine metabolized into NDMA, a recognized carcinogen.
“The Zantac manufacturers knew they had a life-altering, dangerous chemical agent on their hands,” Fegan said. “Yet, at the expense of consumers’ health and well-being, they continue to shell out thousands of dollars in advertising money to claim the drug is safe. They know it isn’t.”
Though several manufacturers of Zantac, including GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi, recently issued recalls and halted sales, these companies continue to stand behind the safety of Zantac. According to Fegan, Zantac and ranitidine became one of the world’s best-selling drugs through a massive advertising campaign that touted the drug as safe.
Of the 62 applicants, 15 were selected to join the steering committee to coordinate pretrial proceedings for the individual plaintiffs and collaborate with the lead counsel in the prosecution of class claims.
“I’m honored to be appointed to the steering committee in the Zantac case,” Fegan said. “Consumers are rightfully worried about the scientific research linking the drug to NDMA, and we plan to use the court system to force the makers of Zantac to recognize their role in damaging the lives of thousands.”
The lawsuit seeks to represent anyone who purchased Zantac or its generic equivalent, ranitidine, and asks the court to set up a medical monitoring program to diagnose and treat any related cancers, demanding punitive damages for defendants’ outrageous and intentional conduct.
Consumers who are interested in learning more about this class-action suit are urged to send their contact information to zantac@feganscott.com.