Overexposure to NDMA Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

The Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have been aware of the dangers of NDMA for many years

Wednesday, March 10, 2021 - N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) also known as nitrosimine, is the chemical compound at the center of the Zantac cancer controversy. Lawsuits are being filed against Sanofi, the maker of Zantac, for failing to warn consumers of the presence of carcinogenic high levels of the compound in the drug. Online prescription drug testing pharmacy Valisure discovered dangerously high levels of the substance in Zantac and reported their results to the Food and Drug Administration. Within a month, the agency had recalled all forms of ranitidine, including the best-selling Zantac. Plaintiffs suing Sanofi claim the NDMA in Zantac caused stomach, bladder, esophagus, prostate, bowel, breast, and many other forms of cancer. Also, ingesting high levels of NDMA can result in other serious health problems such as liver damage, lung, liver, and kidney tumors, irregular heartbeat, nervous system disorders, hair loss, and skin rashes. The EPA adds "headache, fever, nausea, jaundice, vomiting, abdominal cramps, enlarged liver, reduced function of liver, kidneys and lungs and dizziness," to the list of potential NDMA over-ingestion symptoms. NDMA is a compound that is found in nature and also a byproduct of the manufacturing process. The FDA has classified NDMA as a B2 carcinogen meaning that it is probably carcinogenic. After about a year of testing, scientists at online prescription drug testing pharmacy Valisure think that ranitidine is a fundamentally unstable substance that naturally breaks down over time to form NDMA. Zantac attorneys offer a free consultation and no obligation to file a claim.

The Environmental Protection Agency has written a fact sheet detailing their knowledge about the substance. The agency classifies NDMA as a potent carcinogen and a volatile organic chemical. The EPA states that NDMA was also once a byproduct of liquid rocket fuel production. NDMA can also be accidentally produced, like in ranitidine, through chemical reactions. "NDMA can be unintentionally produced in and released from industrial sources through chemical reactions, such as those that involve alkylamines with nitrogen oxides, nitrous acid, or nitrite salts. Potential industrial sources include byproducts from tanneries, pesticide manufacturing plants, rubber tire manufacturers, alkylamine manufacture and use sites, fish processing facilities, foundries, and dye manufacturers. NDMA is also an unintended byproduct of the chlorination of wastewater and drinking water at treatment plants that use chloramines for disinfection." NDMA was once used by scientists to induce tumors in laboratory animals used for cancer research. "In animal studies of various species including rats and mice, exposure to NDMA has caused tumors primarily of the liver, respiratory tract, kidney and blood vessels."

Sanofi and GalaxoSmithKline are currently under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine what they know about NDMA. The companies are alleged to have lied to government regulators about their knowledge or ranitidine breaking down to form the deadly compound. Thousands of lawsuits are expected to be filed in the weeks and months to come by people with cancer that have regularly used Zantac.

More Recent Heartburn MedicineLawsuit News:

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Lawyers for Zantac Heartburn Medicine Lawsuits

OnderLaw, LLC is a St. Louis personal injury law firm handling serious injury and death claims across the country. Its mission is the pursuit of justice, no matter how complex the case or strenuous the effort. The Onder Law Firm has represented clients throughout the United States in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation such as Pradaxa, Lexapro and Yasmin/Yaz, where the firm's attorneys held significant leadership roles in the litigation, as well as Actos, DePuy, Risperdal and others. The Onder Law Firm has won more than $300 million in four talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits in St. Louis. Law firms throughout the nation often seek its experience and expertise on complex litigation.