GSK wins latest Zantac trial as jury finds drug did not cause woman’s cancer
GSK has won its latest trial over whether its former best-selling drug caused cancer on Monday, after a jury found it was not the root cause of an American woman’s illness.
Carrie Joiner had alleged in her suit that she had developed colorectal cancer from a contaminant known as NDMA that had been found in GSK’s heartburn drug Zantac; also known as ranitidine.
The decision is the latest in a long line of litigation that the London-listed pharmaceutical giant has faced over whether or not Zantac – once the best selling drug in the world and the first drug to gross $1bn (£800m) in annual sales – was carcinogenic.
In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked drugmakers to pull the pill off the market, fearing that ranitidine could degrade into a cancer-causing chemical when exposed to heat.
Since this, the British drugmaker has faced a barrage of lawsuits, including one which it settled in a Chicago court just a week ago, and another – versus Boyd/ Steenvoord – which it settled in February.
Analysts have estimated GSK’s total liability for the lawsuits could exceed $5bn (£3.9bn) .
The Joiner ruling bucks a trend of the firm settling with claimants, thousands of whom have filed lawsuits with GSK, or other pharmaceutical firms who distributed the drug, including Pfizer and Sanofi.
In a statement, GSK said: “This outcome is consistent with the scientific consensus that there is no consistent or reliable evidence that ranitidine increases the risk of any cancer, supported by 16 epidemiological studies looking at human data regarding the use of ranitidine. GSK will continue to vigorously defend itself against all other claims.”
GSK added that prior to the verdict, the court rejected the Joiner’s ability to request punitive damages.