Mistrial Declared in Third Zantac Cancer Lawsuit

The third trial over claims that the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer ended in a mistrial when jurors could not come to a consensus. Martin Gross alleged that he developed prostate cancer due to a contaminant in the drug. The pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim denies the allegation.

The third trial over claims that the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer concluded in a mistrial on Wednesday, as jurors failed to reach a consensus about the pharmaceutical company's responsibility. Martin Gross, the plaintiff, alleged that he developed prostate cancer from NDMA, a carcinogenic contaminant found in Zantac. His lawyer, Sean Grimsley, vows to retry the case.

“We continue to believe in our case, in our cause, and in our client,” Grimsley stated. Boehringer Ingelheim expressed disappointment over the lack of a verdict, asserting that scientific evidence indicates Zantac does not cause cancer.

Zantac, approved by U.S. regulators in 1983, reached peak sales as the world’s best-selling drug in 1988. It has faced massive litigation involving companies like Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Pfizer, and Sanofi. While some cases resulted in defense verdicts, others have been settled out of court. The litigation follows a 2020 FDA order to halt sales over NDMA contamination concerns.