While it is reasonable to expect prescription medications to carry potential side effects, it is also reasonable to expect that they will not be worse than the original condition. Unfortunately, doctors may prescribe to people seeking medical care in Ohio prescription drugs that make them even sicker. To make matters worse, there is sometimes no warning at all. While the prescription drug makers GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi might have issued a Zantac recall after reports that it caused cancer, it appears as if they should have acted much sooner.
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating both GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi for allegedly withholding information about Zantac — generic name ranitidine — its popular heartburn drug. This drug contains NDMA — n-nitrosodimethylamine — a probable carcinogen to humans. A probable carcinogen is a substance that is known to cause cancer in humans.
According to the DoJ, these drug makers violated the False Claims Act when they failed to disclose that Zantac and ranitidine contained NDMA. At least one state has also taken legal action. The state of New Mexico is suing both drug makers, claiming they violated public nuisance and negligence laws, as well as the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act and False Advertising Act. These legal actions follow the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s April 2020 request for all over-the-counter and prescription ranitidine products to be removed.
The men and women of Ohio should be given every opportunity to make sound medical decisions. Drug makers take away this opportunity when they withhold information about dangerous substances and side effects. Unfortunately for many, the Zantac recall came too late, and the damage had already been done. Securing compensation is often a priority for these victims, and many find that speaking with an attorney who has experience taking on pharmaceutical companies is often helpful.
