Zantac Lawsuit: Latest Updates & Compensation Claims

Reuters reports that Judge Vivian Medinilla rebuffed a request by GSK and other drugmakers to appeal a ruling allowing more than 70,000 lawsuits claiming that the heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer to go forward.

The ruling by the Delaware Superior Court means that the drugmakers, which also include Pfizer, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingelheim, will have to ask the Delaware Supreme Court directly for permission to appeal. GSK said it already submitted its appeal to that court.

If the state high court declines to take the appeal, it will clear the way for the lawsuits to go to trial.

In a significant ruling with potential billion-dollar implications, Delaware state court Judge Vivian Medinilla has determined in a 102-page decision that pharmaceutical giants Pfizer, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim and others will face state court trials over allegations that Zantac causes cancer. This decision allows 75,000 Zantac lawsuits to proceed in Delaware.

The decision by Judge Vivian Medinilla of the Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington is a setback for former Zantac makers GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Boehringer Ingelheim, which had argued that the expert witnesses’ opinions lacked scientific support.

Bloomberg reported that Pfizer Inc. had agreed to settle more than 10,000 cases accusing it of hiding the cancer risks of its Zantac heartburn drug, according to people familiar with the deal, the biggest of the Zantac litigation.

This far surpasses the 4,000 cases in April that Sanofi reportedly has agreed to settle linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer.

Reuters reports that Sanofi has reached a potential settlement: an agreement in principle to settle 4,000 lawsuits linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer.

According to Reuters, Sanofi did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. The agreement, which still needs to be finalized, will resolve most of the lawsuits against the French pharmaceutical company in U.S. state courts, with the exception of Delaware where the majority of the cases are pending.

GSK has agreed to several confidential settlements related to their lawsuits. Settlements were reached with Boyd/Steenvoord and David Browne for their Zantac cases just weeks before their trials were scheduled to commence.

The future of the Zantac litigation is contingent on the outcome of the Daubert hearing in Delaware, with Judge Vivian L. Medinilla’s decision crucial for determining whether the case proceeds in this state.

The appeal in the MDL is also critical, impacting the 14,389 plaintiffs in the MDL, while others not in the MDL may seek recourse in state courts.

Several Zantac cancer lawsuits in California, including one scheduled for trial and three bellwether cases, have been settled, with details remaining confidential. GlaxoSmithKline asserts that these settlements do not imply a wider strategy to resolve additional Zantac cancer claims in state courts.

Numerous cases in the MDL have been dismissed, yet around 15,000 lawsuits are still under appeal. The 11th Circuit also received an appeal pertaining to the MDL.

A notable Zantac lawsuit trial is slated for November 13, 2023, to be held in a California state court.

After arbitration, Sanofi is not mandated to compensate Boehringer Ingelheim for Zantac lawsuits in the U.S. However, major pharmaceutical companies are still grappling with Zantac cancer risk and potential substantial settlements.

Additionally, an impending Zantac lawsuit is marked for July 24, 2023, which could possibly change the litigation’s direction.

In Delaware, a procedural decision for 77,000 Zantac lawsuits has been made, introducing a specific trial to study Zantac’s ties to cancer. Meanwhile, the federal court saw Zantac lawsuits dismissed after specific hearings, while in Canada, a ruling found insufficient evidence linking Zantac to cancer.

The appeal journey for Zantac cancer lawsuits, as indicated by an appeal notice to the 11th Circuit Court, is expected to be long.

A California state court judge allowed expert testimony linking Zantac to cancer for an upcoming trial. This first trial, eagerly watched by many, is now scheduled for July 24, 2023, especially after a series of dismissals from a federal judge.

February witnessed multiple developments in the Zantac cases: the anticipated trial concerning Zantac’s linkage to cancer was postponed to July 24, 2023. A California judge’s upcoming decision on the evidence linking NDMA in Zantac to cancer could reshape the landscape of Zantac lawsuits.

However, the overall prospects for the Zantac lawsuits on appeal, especially concerning the MDL, appear to be bleak.

The start of the year saw New York consolidating some Zantac lawsuits into a class action, albeit on a limited scale. However, the pathway for registry appeals has been obstructed, complicating matters for plaintiffs aiming to maintain an appeal claim. Meanwhile, a pivotal motion in the MDL could change the fate of thousands of Zantac claims.

Defendants in a California Zantac lawsuit confirmed a confidential settlement. The Zantac MDL class action plans to appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. A federal judge dismissed all Zantac claims in the MDL over lack of evidence connecting NDMA in Zantac to cancer.

Post-hearing, both sides of the Zantac lawsuit were permitted to submit supplemental briefs on the motion to exclude scientific evidence. Judge Rosenberg ordered more briefs about the admissibility of new expert witnesses and displayed concerns regarding plaintiffs’ causation experts.

Zantac trials are set for February 2023 in both California and Madison County, Illinois. A study found a significant link between ranitidine and various cancers. The plaintiffs accused Sanofi-Aventis of deleting key emails and requested a sanction.

Daubert hearings began to decide the inclusion of expert evidence in the Zantac class action lawsuit litigation, which could dictate the future of the Zantac class action lawsuits.