Anne Bucher  |  January 17, 2020

Category: Legal News

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doctor holding reflux sign regarding zantacA Vancouver man has filed a Zantac cancer class action lawsuit alleging some ranitidine-containing medications sold in Canada contain a potentially cancer-causing impurity.

Ranitidine is the active ingredient in medications that treat stomach problems, ulcers, heartburn, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

In Canada, ranitidine is sold under the brand name Zantac, though generic versions of the drug are also available. It is sold as an over-the-counter drug or by prescription.

In September 2019, Health Canada announced that it was investigating a potential N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) impurity in some ranitidine drugs.

Shortly after this announcement, several drug manufacturers issued recalls of ranitidine medications due to the presence of NDMA. These drug manufacturers, which are named as defendants in the Zantac class action lawsuit, include Sandoz Canada Inc., Apotex Inc., Pro Doc Limitée, Sanis Health Inc., and Sivem Pharmaceuticals ULC.

Plaintiff Gary Dussiaume says he had a prescription for ranitidine and took the medication from 2018 until Sept. 26, 2019 when his family doctor reportedly switched his medication. He had previously taken prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine medication on and off for a number of years, the Zantac cancer class action lawsuit states.

The plaintiff notes that NDMA was not listed as a component of the ranitidine medication and cancer was not mentioned as a potential risk to consumers. Now Dussiaume says he’s experiencing prolonged and serious mental distress along with an increased risk of developing cancer due to potential long-term exposure to NDMA.

Dussiaume would not have ingested the ranitidine medication if he had known that he would also be consuming carcinogens, according to the Zantac cancer class action lawsuit.

He filed the Zantac class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a proposed Class of Canadians who ingested, purchased, and/or were prescribed ranitidine that was contaminated with NDMA.

More than a dozen companies, including manufacturers, merchants and distributors of ranitidine-containing medications are named as defendants in the Zantac cancer class action lawsuit.

Dussiaume accuses the defendants of putting the ranitidine medications on the market even though they should have known that the drugs posed an unreasonable risk of harming consumers.

The defendants also failed to issue a timely recall of the affected drugs when they knew about the potential Zantac cancer risks, Dussiaume alleges. He suggests the companies failed to implement appropriate quality control testing to ensure the medication was safe for consumption.

The Zantac class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligence, failure to warn, unjust enrichment, waiver of tort, battery, and other violations of Canada law.

A similar Zantac cancer class action lawsuit was filed last month in Quebec.

Canada is not the only country that’s faced with NDMA-contaminated Zantac. Several Zantac recalls have been issued in the United States over concerns of NDMA contamination and consumers are filing Zantac cancer lawsuits against the drug manufacturers and distributors. Plaintiffs are alleging they developed stomach cancer or bladder cancer after ingesting Zantac.

Have you taken Zantac over the years? Let us know in the comments below.

Dussiaume is represented by Charney Lawyers PC and Rice Harbut Elliott LLP.

The Canadian Zantac Cancer Class Action Lawsuit is Gary Dussiaume v. Sandoz Canada Inc., et al., Case No. S1911469, in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada.

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109 thoughts onCanadian Files Zantac Class Action Alleging Cancer Risk

  1. Kara Dymond says:

    I had been taking prescription ranitidine for years (5-10?) when my pharmacy called me in Oct 2019 and told me to stop taking it because the batch that I had was being recalled as containing a probable carcinogen. I have a lot of anxiety now about getting cancer as a result of my long-term use.

  2. Georgiana says:

    I had used Tecta for several years and gradually better. A Pharmarcist advised me to take a mild one (Zantac) instead, then I started taking Zantac in 2016. I was unaware that Zantac would cause all those issues. I was wondering why my stomache problems became more and more serious. I have big family with 6 siblings. I don’t have family history of Breast Cancer. Only my dad had Prostate Cancer in 2014, just did the radiation therapy and was fully recovered; he is now 89. I recently diagnosed breast cancer – invasive ductal carcinoma. Besides, I also have others severe symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, burping, heratburn, bloating, neck tight and hair loss. Sometimes those pains can cause sudden inability to walk. CT Scan recently found 3 small hepatic cysts or hemangioma in my liver. I had been taking Zantac for at least 3 years or even more, twice daily until it recalled. I still have half box of Zantac and some receipts. My family doctor can prove how long I had been taking Zantac. I don’t know where I could actually join the Zantac Class Action.

  3. Kenneth Ian Mounsey says:

    I have this Kirkland product that i have used. Not often but a couple times a month . What do I do?

  4. Susan Waddleton says:

    I took Zantac since the 90’s until they took off the shelf. I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer in 2014. No family history of Thyroid cancer. Removed Thyroid, parathyroid and 15 lymph nodes.

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