Roughly one in five Amercans, suffer from the pain and discomfort of heartburn. But a popular medication, Zantac, that's been around for decades and has offered relief, has been voluntarily recalled over concerns about the level of NDMA, a probable human carcinogen.
So, what are patients to do now? And is it too late for those who've been on these medications long term?
Millions of Americans who suffer from heartburn use whatever they can to ease their discomfort.
“I was continuously on Zantac. I had it in my duty bag, trunk of my zone car, locker at work,” said Michael Konn.
For nearly 19 years, Konn used Zantac to treat his acid reflux.
He was an otherwise healthy guy, who worked as a patrolman with the Cleveland Police Department for 15 years, when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
“I went to the bathroom and started urinating blood. I was scared,” he said.
His doctor asked him about common risk factors like a family history of bladder cancer, smoking or factory work.
But none applied to then 37 year old Konn.
“He was surprised, he said you’re very young. You usually get this in your 70s,” he recalled his doctor saying.
His cancer forced him to retire at 40 from a job he loved, and go back to college so he could earn a living.
Something Konn heard on television lead him to look into a connection between his heartburn medication and his cancer.
He started researching, looking for an explanation.
“Was it something I did? I don’t believe it was. I believe it was from taking Zantac for all those years,” Konn said.
After learning about the Zantac voluntary recall and it’s generic form, Ranitidine, he hired a local law firm.
Konn is now one of a growing number of people linking their cancers to their heartburn medication through Zantac Lawsuits.
I reached out to Zantac’s maker, Sanofi, about the recall.
“The longstanding science supports the safety of Zantac®, which has been available over-the-counter for more than two decades. Sanofi is working closely with the FDA and other regulatory bodies to evaluate any potential safety risks associated with ranitidine products and Zantac OTC products remain off the market in light of those continuing investigations. Sanofi is committed to transparency and will continue to communicate results with health authorities from the ongoing testing, and work with them to make informed decisions based on available data and evidence.”
Kelley and Ferraro Managing Partner John Murphy believes the scope of the developing lawsuits will be huge.
The local firm is getting 3-4 new cases every day.
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