Apr 2, 2020
FDA pulls common heartburn drug from US market after carcinogen concerns
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: biotech/medical
After a year of investigation the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completely withdrawn all ranitidine products from the American market. Studies have revealed levels of a carcinogenic compound can increase in the product over time, particularly when stored at high temperatures.
Early last year concerns were raised after some ranitidine products were found to contain low levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a known cancer-causing chemical. Frequently sold as a heartburn drug called Zantac, the FDA initially suspected the presence of NMDA was due to some kind of contamination during manufacturing.