The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled all Zantac (ranitidine) antacid products from the market on April1, 2020, based on evidence that the products tested positive for unsafe levels of N-nitroso dimethylamine (NDMA), a cancer-causing substance.
Since that time, many plaintiffs, who took the medication and were diagnosed with cancer, have filed against the makers of Zantac and generic ranitidine products. Some plaintiffs who were not diagnosed with cancer have also filed Zantac lawsuits because they fear they might get cancer in the future.
In one such consolidated consumer class action complaint against generic manufacturers, the defendants have filed a motion to dismiss, alleging that the plaintiffs “fail to allege a true injury-in-fact,” if they have not been diagnosed with cancer. To have a viable claim, the defendants argue that a plaintiff “must allege an injury that is distinct and palpable, as opposed to merely abstract, and the alleged harm must be actual or imminent, not conjectural or hypothetical.”
The plaintiffs countered in their opposition response arguing the law holds that any products “that are so unsafe that they are illegal to buy or sell are also economically worthless and give rise to constitutional injury in fact when plaintiffs purchase them.”
All federally filed Zantac and generic ranitidine lawsuits have been consolidated into the Southern District of Florida by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML).
Reference:
Luhanna, Roopal. “Generic Ranitidine Manufacturers Try to Get Class-Action Case Dismissed.” The Legal Examiner, 1 Dec. 2020. https://newyork.legalexaminer.com/health/generic-ranitidine-manufacturers-try-to-get-class-action-case-dismissed/
Gayle Gerling Pettinga
Born and raised in Evansville, Gayle is a respected, experienced lawyer and a valued community leader. She graduated near the top of her class at Indiana University’s prestigious Maurer School of Law. She’s practiced law with one of the largest firms in Indianapolis as well as one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. And that means she knows how big law firms and big companies think and how they operate – and she will put that knowledge to work for you.
Gayle has received numerous awards and honors including Martindale-Hubbell — Peer Review Rated: AV®, American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys 10 Best Attorneys in Indiana for Exceptional and Outstanding Client Service, and YWCA Evansville 100 Years, 100 Women Honoree, 2011.
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