GSK settles majority of US Zantac lawsuits for up to $2.2 billion
GSK plc has reached agreements to resolve approximately 80,000 Zantac product liability cases in the U.S. state courts for up to $2.2 billion.
GSK plc has agreed to settle the vast majority of U.S. Zantac product liability cases, it announced on October 9, 2024. The agreements will resolve approximately 80,000 cases, representing 93% of the state court actions, for a total consideration of up to $2.2 billion.
The settlements address claims that the heartburn medication Zantac, when prescribed as ranitidine, caused various cancers. GSK has previously reached confidential settlements in numerous individual cases, including those of John Russell, Annette Hughes, Isaac Dixon, Ronald Kimbrow, Martin Gross, and others. Juries have also ruled in favor of GSK in some trials, such as the Joiner and Valadez cases.
Despite the settlements, GSK has maintained its position that the scientific evidence does not support a link between Zantac and cancer. The company has been involved in legal battles over the admissibility of scientific evidence, including seeking an appeal of a Delaware Supreme Court decision regarding expert testimony. A Florida court previously ruled in favor of defendants, excluding expert testimony linking ranitidine to prostate cancer.
Zantac was withdrawn from the market in 2019 due to concerns that it could degrade into N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen. The litigation has centered on whether the drug's use posed an unreasonable risk of cancer to consumers.