GSK (GSK.L) and several other pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer (PFE.N), Sanofi (SASY.PA), and Boehringer Ingelheim, are requesting permission from a Delaware court to appeal a ruling that allows over 70,000 lawsuits alleging that the heartburn drug Zantac causes cancer to proceed. The appeal, if granted by Judge Vivian Medinilla of the Delaware Superior Court, will be taken up directly by the Delaware Supreme Court. Should Judge Medinilla deny the petition, the companies plan to seek a hearing from the Supreme Court themselves.
The drugmakers argue that Judge Medinilla should have accepted their motion to prevent plaintiffs from presenting expert testimony claiming that Zantac causes cancer. Acceptance of this motion would have effectively halted all related lawsuits in Delaware, where the majority of Zantac cases are currently pending.
On Monday, GSK also announced that Eugenia Kasza, who had alleged that she developed breast cancer from taking Zantac, dropped her case shortly before it was set to go to trial. GSK clarified that there was no settlement involved. This would have been the second Zantac-related case to go to trial, following a recent victory for GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim in another case. Additionally, a separate case was dismissed by a judge just before the trial date on May 23.
Sanofi has already settled approximately 4,000 Zantac cases, and Pfizer reportedly settled more than 10,000 cases, according to the Financial Times.
Zantac, first approved in 1983, became a blockbuster drug by 1988, reaching over $1 billion in annual sales. Initially marketed by a predecessor of GSK, the drug was later sold to various companies over the years. In 2019, the sale of Zantac was halted by some manufacturers and pharmacies after the detection of NDMA, a known carcinogen, in certain pills. Tests indicated that Zantac's active ingredient, ranitidine, could degrade into NDMA over time or when exposed to heat.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that Zantac be removed from the market in 2020. Despite mounting lawsuits, the drugmakers have consistently argued that there is no evidence linking Zantac to harmful levels of NDMA exposure.
The companies achieved a significant victory in 2022 when another judge dismissed around 50,000 similar lawsuits consolidated in federal court in Florida. However, some plaintiffs are appealing that ruling. The current legal proceedings in Delaware represent another crucial front in the ongoing legal battles over Zantac.
Pfizer has been dismissed from a broad antitrust lawsuit accusing dozens of drugmakers and executives of fixing prices in the generic drug industry, a ruling that removes the company from one part of a larger case brought by most U.S. states.Chief Judge Michael Shea of the U.S. District Court in... Read More »
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that federal pesticide law bars a Missouri man’s failure-to-warn claim against Monsanto over Roundup, a decision that gives the company a major win in litigation over cancer warnings on the widely used weed killer.In a 7-2 decision, the Court reversed a Missouri appeals court... Read More »
Philips has agreed to a settlement exceeding $1 billion to resolve lawsuits involving thousands of individuals who allege they were harmed by the company’s breathing machines. These devices, used for sleep apnea and ventilation, were found to potentially release toxic particles and fumes, posing severe health risks to users. The... Read More »
A new $6.4 billion lawsuit against Bristol Myers Squibb Co (BMY.N) in Manhattan Federal Court accuses the firm of delaying lymphoma cancer drugs to avoid paying Celgene Corp's shareholders, avoiding a "milestone" payment. Bristol Myers Squibb, which purchased the drug manufacturer Celgene Corporation in 2019, was slapped with the lawsuit... Read More »
In a landmark opioid case that began on Monday, brought by two counties and a city in West Virginia, attorneys for three gigantic drug manufacturers came out swinging, refusing to take any responsibility. Attorneys argued, in part, that their companies cannot be held responsible for the West Virginia opioid epidemic,... Read More »
