Drug Companies Investigated For Failing To Disclose Zantac Risks

September 30, 2020 / 8:37 am

At Colson Hicks Eidson, we have regularly discussed the cancer risks posed by Zantac and other generic forms of ranitidine. Over the last year, these medications have been recalled, and major companies have pulled them from their shelves. Now, federal investigators are looking into whether two drugmakers may have known about a probable carcinogen in Zantac and other forms of ranitidine but failed to disclose that information with the government.

Us Department Of Justice Investigating Two Drugmakers Over Zantac

When pharmaceutical companies or manufacturers have information related to their products being unsafe, they cannot legally hide this information. That is why the US Department of Justice is investigating whether GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi violated the False Claims Act by possibly failing to disclose the presence of n-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) inside of Zantac and the generic forms of the heartburn medication.

NDMA has been classified as a probable human carcinogen. In April of 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requested that all manufacturers remove the prescription and over-the-counter ranitidine products from the market.

GlaxoSmithKline is the original manufacturer of Zantac, though Sanofi currently holds the rights to the Zantac brand name in the United States. GlaxoSmithKline and other drug companies currently sell the generic form of ranitidine in the US. If these drugmakers knew of the dangers of Zantac and the generic forms of the medication and failed to disclose this information to the federal government, they could face significant repercussions.

The presence of NDMA in these medications was discovered by a private laboratory that routinely tests prescription medications. These labs discovered that Zantac 150 mg tablets could contain as much as 2,500,000 nanograms of NDMA. However, humans can only safely consume 96 nanograms of NDMA per day, according to the FDA.

There may be various types of cancers linked to Zantac and other ranitidine products, including the following:

  • Stomach Cancer
  • Liver Cancer
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Small Intestine Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Testicular Cancer
  • Ovarian Cancer
  • Uterine Cancer
  • Nasal/Throat Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Pancreatic Cancer
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Brain Cancer

You Can Contact Us For A Free Consultation Of Your Case

If you or somebody you love has been diagnosed with cancer, and you believe the illness was caused by taking Zantac or another form of ranitidine, contact an attorney immediately. At Colson Hicks Eidson, our nationally-recognized product liability lawyers are actively involved in helping clients with these cases. Our goal is to investigate your case in order to determine whether you are entitled to the following:

  • Compensation for medical bills related to your cancer diagnosis
  • Lost income if you are unable to work due to your diagnosis
  • Pain and suffering damages
  • Loss of enjoyment of life damages
  • Possible punitive damages against the makers of the harmful medication

Our team understands that most individuals who contract cancer caused by possible NDMA exposure will not have the resources necessary to thoroughly investigate their claim and secure the compensation they need, but we are ready to help. If you need a Zantac cancer attorney in Florida or throughout the US, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or by calling us at 305-476-7400.

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Colson Hicks Eidson is thrilled to announce that Managing Partner, Dean Colson, has been named in the 2025 Lawdragon 100 Managing Partners Guide. Lawdragon selected attorneys based on their roles in growing, leading, and innovating their firms.

Dean is renowned as a top trial lawyer in the U.S. with 40 years of experience in complex civil litigation, personal injury, product liability, and professional malpractice. He has successfully represented large plaintiff classes and handled multimillion-dollar cases, including high-profile litigation such as the AeroPeru airplane crash and a Ponzi scheme settlement.

Dean has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service through various leadership roles. He has been actively involved with the Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami, supporting access to the arts. He’s also been president of the Orange Bowl Committee and chaired the Super Bowl XXIX Host Committee. He served on the Florida Commission on Ethics and chaired the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. He previously served as President of the Dade County Bar Association and as a distinguished member of the Florida Bar Board of Governors. Most recently, the Coral Gables Community Foundation recognized Dean at its 2024 Annual Gala with the Education Award.

Click here to read the full guide.


About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

MIAMI (March 12, 2025) – Every day, the lawyers at Colson Hicks Eidson are privileged to deliver meaningful litigation results for our clients while working alongside some of the finest attorneys and people we know. We are honored that Lawdragon recognizes our dedication to our craft and are pleased to announce that all nine of our partners have been named in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide.

Lawyers for this guide are selected through Lawdragon’s process of independent journalistic research and submissions. Their selection process emphasizes lawyers who have demonstrated consistent excellence and have made notable impacts in their fields.

Click here to read the full guide.

The Firm’s recognized attorneys are listed below.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

MIAMI (March 6, 2025) – This Women’s History Month, Colson Hicks Eidson congratulates partners Julie Braman Kane and Stephanie Casey who were named Florida Trend Legal Elite NOTABLE: Women Leaders in Law for their significant contributions and leadership in the legal profession.

Stephanie was recognized for her representation of injured consumers and her skills in complex litigation, including recent successes in ERISA health insurance benefits cases. Acknowledged by Chambers USA as “an excellent lawyer,” she actively contributes to the legal community as a Board member and former President of the South Florida Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, reflecting her commitment to mentorship and leadership in the profession.

Julie was recognized for her representation of plaintiffs in high-stakes personal injury and complex class action cases, leveraging over three decades of experience. Her accomplishments include serving as lead and liaison counsel in significant multidistrict and consolidated national litigation and securing notable verdicts and settlements in products liability, medical malpractice and negligence cases. A strong advocate for the underrepresented, she has spearheaded efforts to safeguard electoral access and has held leadership roles in the American Association for Justice and the Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers. Julie’s legal knowledge is further acknowledged by Lawdragon and Chambers USA, underscoring her significant impact on the profession and her commitment to advancing justice.

We are proud to celebrate Julie and Stephanie, whose recognition reflects their outstanding achievements and the firm’s exceptional success in securing significant judgments and settlements across various areas of law.

Read more: http://digital.floridatrend.com/december-2024/page-86

To schedule a consultation, do not hesitate to contact an attorney at our law office. We have experience in a wide variety of cases for clients located throughout the nation and around the globe.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

Colson Hicks Eidson was proud to represent Brookfield Properties, owner of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel property in Ft. Lauderdale, during trial in a long-running case brought by David J. Stern, a unit owner in the residential condominium portion of the property, who alleged water intrusion and property damage in his unit. After a three-and-one-half week jury trial in Broward County Circuit Court, the jury returned an across-the-board verdict in favor of our client. 

“Our firm was proud to represent Brookfield Properties in this hard-fought trial, and we are pleased that the jury delivered a clear and decisive verdict in our client’s favor,” Curtis Miner said.

Congratulations to our trial team Curtis Miner, Zachary Lipshultz, Aziza Elayan, and Michelle Roberto, joined by Jodi Kleinick from Paul Hastings.  

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

MIAMI (January 22, 2025) – Colson Hicks Eidson is thrilled to announce that three of its partners have been named in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. This impressive guide selects its lawyers through Lawdragon’s independent journalistic research and submissions process.

Now in its 20th year, Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America recognized Colson Hicks Eidson attorneys Julie Braman Kane, Roberto Martínez, and Curtis Miner for their exceptional work in litigation, plaintiff class action litigation, and white-collar practice areas.

Julie’s work has made a significant difference in the lives of her clients. She has represented plaintiffs in personal injury, commercial, and class action litigation, participating in cases securing hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including recent resolutions of a data breach class action as well as multiple personal injury and wrongful death matters.

Curtis has tried cases to jury verdicts against auto manufacturers and airlines and has obtained sizable settlements in individual and plaintiffs’ class action litigation, having served as Class Counsel in cases against financial institutions arising out of Ponzi schemes and as part of court-appointed leadership counsel in the Takata Airbags Products Liability Litigation MDL, securing over $1.5 billion in settlements for classes of millions of vehicle owners.

Roberto has secured significant client wins in high-profile cases, including participating in settlements and judgments totaling in excess of $6 billion.

Click here to read the full guide on Lawdragon.

About Colson Hicks Eidson

Colson Hicks Eidson is a renowned law firm based in Miami, Florida, that is recognized as one of the top trial firms in the United States. Built on a foundation of over 50 years of dedication forging strong client relationships, Colson Hicks Eidson handles local, national, and international litigation, with cases spanning from Miami, Florida, and throughout the United States, to matters in the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. Learn more at: www.colson.com.

A federal judge in Florida denied UnitedHealthcare’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a cancer patient seeking coverage for proton beam radiation therapy to treat his tongue cancer. The patient, Carlos Morera, alleges the insurer wrongfully denied benefits under his healthcare plan, forcing him to pay approximately $195,000 out of pocket for the treatment.

Stephanie A. Casey, a partner at Colson Hicks Eidson, represents Morera and successfully argued that the case should proceed.

“We look forward to presenting the merits of this case at trial. Proton beam radiation therapy has long been recognized as the standard of care for these types of cancers,” she said.

The court’s decision allows Morera to continue his fight to recover treatment costs. Read more about this case on Law360 here.