GSK accused of hiding link between Zantac and cancer

British pharmaceutical giant GSK has been accused of burying a report proving links between its medication Zantac and cancer. The accusation is contained in a class action filed by a pension fund against the company in the US. Three executives, including boss Emma Walmsley, allegedly misled investors by claiming that they did not know a connection between Zantac – a popular heartburn medication – and cancer. However, court documents claim that in 1982, Richard Tanner, a scientist at the company, found that the drug ingredient ranitidine could produce over 200,000 nanograms of NDMA, a carcinogenic chemical, when interacting with nitrates present in many foods. According to the US drugs regulator, only 96 nanograms are acceptable in a pharmaceutical product. The lawsuit claims that GSK buried the report, misinforming investors and exposing them to the risk of legal cases with related economic losses.
Zantac was launched in 1981 and soon became the world’s fastest-selling drug. In 2019, however, GSK withdrew the product in the UK and US over concerns that ranitidine could create carcinogenic chemicals in the body in reaction to food nitrates. In the US, thousands of people sought compensation, and GSK said at the time that there was “no consistent or reliable evidence” that ranitidine increased the risk of cancer, a statement now disputed by the new lawsuit. The company spent over $2 billion to settle 93% of the legal cases without admitting liability.
Regarding the recent lawsuit, GSK said they are reviewing it and insisted that the scientific information presented in 2019 was correct. They also claimed to have kept shareholders regularly updated on the issue.