Zantac Retailers, Distributors Win Dismissal of Cancer Suits

Zantac retailers like CVS Pharmacy, Inc. and Walgreens, and distributors such as AmerisourceBergen Corp. exited personal injury suits alleging the once popular antacids caused cancer, with a ruling by the federal court overseeing multidistrict litigation.

The plaintiffs failed to raise plausible claims against some 22 retailers and five distributors, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida said Wednesday.

Plaintiffs allege ranitidine, the active ingredient in Zantac and its generic equivalents, is unstable and breaks down into NDMA, a probable human carcinogen.

Personal injury suits alleging years of prescription and over-the-counter antacid use caused cancer, and proposed class ...