GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim win key victory in first Zantac trial

A Chicago jury has delivered a significant verdict in favor of GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim, rejecting the claim by Angela Valadez that the heartburn medication Zantac was responsible for her colon cancer. This marks the first personal injury case related to Zantac to go to trial, setting a notable precedent for future litigation.

Angela Valadez, aged 89, claimed to have used Zantac daily from 1995 to 2014 and was seeking $640 million in compensation. Her lawsuit argued that the companies were aware that Zantac’s primary ingredient, ranitidine, could potentially transform into the carcinogen NDMA, especially over time or when exposed to high temperatures. Despite these alleged risks, Valadez contended that GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim failed to adequately warn consumers.

During the trial, Valadez's attorney, Mikal Watts, presented evidence suggesting that Zantac pills changed color as they degraded, implying that the companies attempted to cover this degradation instead of addressing the underlying issue. However, the jury ultimately sided with GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim.

This case could have wide-ranging implications, as it is one of thousands of similar lawsuits awaiting resolution. Prior to this trial, all other cases had either been settled or dismissed, including another in Illinois that was set for trial but recently dropped.

After the decision, GSK released a statement emphasizing the scientific consensus that ranitidine does not consistently or reliably increase the risk of cancer, citing 16 epidemiological studies. The company vowed to vigorously defend itself against remaining claims.

During the three-week trial, GSK highlighted various risk factors that may have contributed to Valadez developing colon cancer, aiming to discredit the argument that Zantac was the cause.

Zantac's history dates back to 1983 when GSK gained approval for its use. By 1988, it had become the world’s bestselling drug. However, following the loss of patent protection in 1997, generic versions flooded the market. In 2020, the FDA instructed manufacturers to cease production of ranitidine-based formulations due to contamination concerns. Subsequently, a reformulated version of Zantac, which does not contain ranitidine, was introduced to the market.

Earlier this year, Sanofi resolved approximately 4,000 cases by agreeing to a $100 million settlement, equating to about $25,000 per claimant. Pfizer followed suit, settling over 10,000 complaints and resolving various litigations across state courts.

A pivotal moment for Zantac manufacturers came in 2022 when a Florida district judge dismissed the scientific claims that the drug could cause cancer. This ruling effectively relieved the manufacturers from defending against nearly 50,000 consolidated cases in Florida federal court.

Over the past year, GSK has also settled individual claims in California to avoid going to court. Given its longer involvement with Zantac, GSK faces a particularly high number of claims, with Reuters reporting 79,000 outstanding cases as of October last year.

This recent verdict in Chicago underscores the challenges plaintiffs face in proving that Zantac is responsible for their cancer diagnoses and may influence the outcomes of the many pending lawsuits.