Versions :<12345678910Live>
Snapshot 3:Thu, Oct 10, 2024 1:52:43 PM GMT last edited by Vandita

GSK Agrees to Pay Up to $2.2B to Settle 80K Zantac Lawsuits

GSK SettlesAgrees Zantacto CancerPay Lawsuits,Up Avoidsto Trial$2.2B to Settle 80K Zantac Lawsuits

Above: GlaxoSmithKline (GSk) headquarters in London. Image copyright: JUSTIN TALLIS/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • The settlement includes three "bellwether" breast cancer cases in California, resulting in GSK's dismissal from these cases and related pre-trial hearings, though the company maintains this is not an admission of liability.Pharmaceutical giant GSK has reached a confidential settlement for four lawsuits in the US claiming its heartburn drug Zantac causes cancer, including the Cantlay/Harper case set for trial in California next month.

  • Zantac, originally developed by Glaxo Holdings in the 1980s, became a blockbuster drug, topping $1 billion in annual sales and was later marketed by other pharmaceutical companies including Haleon, Sanofi, and Pfizer.The settlement includes three "bellwether" breast cancer cases in California, resulting in GSK's dismissal from these cases and related pre-trial hearings, though the company maintains this is not an admission of liability.


The Spin

The settlements indicate GSK's awarenessdecision ofto potentialsettle liability.these Thecases FDA'ssimply findingsavoids thatthe Zantacdistraction producesof NDMAprotracted overlitigation. time,There's whichno canscientific causeevidence cancerbacking inclaims largeof quantities,consumer supportharm thefrom plaintiffs' claimsZantac. The massivecompany numberwill ofcontinue pendingdefending lawsuitsitself suggestsin widespreadall concernother aboutZantac thecases drug'sbased safetyon facts and science.

The settlements indicate GSK's awareness of potential liability. The FDA's findings that Zantac produces NDMA over time, which can cause cancer in large quantities, support the plaintiffs' claims. The massive number of pending lawsuits suggests widespread concern about the drug's safety.

There's a 50% chance that the average survival rate of all cancers will exceed 75% by 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.


Sign up to our daily newsletter