STAT Plus: FDA claims Zantac does not form a carcinogen in patients, but says some pills should be recalled
After running simulated testing, the Food and Drug Administration says it has not found evidence that Zantac and similar heartburn medicines form a possible carcinogen in patient stomachs or small intestines. Nonetheless, the agency also indicated some of the medicines contain higher than acceptable levels of NDMA, and asked manufacturers to voluntarily withdraw those pills.
The move marks the first time the FDA has suggested drug makers should recall their heartburn medicines, which are called ranitidines, after opening a probe several weeks ago. NDMA is an organic chemical that was once used to make rocket fuel and is an unintended byproduct of certain chemical reactions. The World Health Organization considers the impurity to be a possible carcinogen.
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