CVC Health Corporation has stopped the sale of famous heartburn medicine Zantac and its generic known as ranitidine after an FDA alert previously this month said that the drug contained a potential carcinogen.
Ranitidine, which is a stomach acid medicine, is sold by prescription and over-the-counter to people belonging to any age group.
In a statement, the drug manufacturer said that that Zantac brand commodities and CVC brand commodities haven’t been recalled. However, the FDA isn’t recommending that the patients should stop using ranitidine currently, the company further said.
Customers who bought the heartburn drug previously at CVC could go and return it to stores they purchased from and ask for a refund.
On Monday, Walgreens said that it was also suspending Zantac and ranitidine commodities from its shelves as the FDA continues to examine the products.
As per the test results coming from FDA lab, a few heartburn medicines comprised of an impurity known as NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) in minor quantities. NDMA, a potential carcinogen, could boost the risk of cancer if increased doses are taken since long span of time.
Meanwhile, the federal government of Canada has also urged firms to halt the distribution of ranitidine commodities as it completes a review of the medicine.