CVS (+1.59%), Rite Aid (-4.53%), and Walgreens (+1.65%) have put sales of both Zantac and its generic version to a screeching halt, citing in CVS's case an “abundance of caution.”
Why any caution? The U.S.’ largest pharmacy chains are responding to the possibility that the medicines contain a human carcinogen. Last month, the FDA said that some ranitidine (ruh-NI-tuh-deen, the active ingredient in Zantac) had a small amount of an “impurity” that could cause cancer.
The meds haven’t been recalled in the U.S., CVS took pains to note, and the FDA hasn’t yet recommended that patients avoid ranitidine.
But if you bought Zantac or its generic version at CVS recently, you can return it for a refund.
France showed even more caution by recalling ranitidine entirely last week (Zantac maker Sanofi is headquartered en France). Canada has asked companies to stop distributing it.
Zoom out: The possible carcinogen, NDMA, keeps showing up in treatments. It’s the same substance the FDA found in a popular blood pressure medicine last year.
Looking ahead: The FDA is on the case.
More Info on Rantidine
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