The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday it was requesting makers of all versions of heartburn drug Zantac to remove the products from the market immediately due to the presence of a probable carcinogen. French drugmaker Sanofi SA's Zantac and some generic versions of the treatment, also known as ranitidine, have been recalled over the last year due to possible contamination with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA). "We didn't observe unacceptable levels of NDMA in many of the samples that we tested," said Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The FDA also said consumers taking over-the-counter ranitidine should stop taking the drug and not buy more, and those taking prescription ranitidine should ask their doctor about other options before discontinuing treatment. Health Canada added it will take action if a risk to Canadians is identified, including informing the public.

Source: CBC News April 01, 2020 15:52 UTC