GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Others See Zantac Cancer Claims Advance

GlaxoSmithKline LLC and other makers of branded Zantac products must keep defending against personal injury claims in litigation alleging the once-popular antacids cause cancer, following a series of rulings by a federal court in Florida.

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

About 1,400 plaintiffs have filed personal injury lawsuits alleging years of prescription and over-the-counter antacid use caused cancer. Additionally, about 100,000 plaintiffs have registered claims with the court.

Those lawsuits, and proposed class actions seeking refunds and medical monitoring, are proceeding in ...