In the face of mounting nationwide lawsuits and continuing alarming testing data, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally announced it is requesting manufacturers withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market immediately. As a result of this immediate market withdrawal request, ranitidine products (commonly known by the brand name Zantac) will not be available for new or existing prescriptions or OTC use in the U.S.
The FDA is also advising consumers taking OTC ranitidine to stop taking any tablets or liquid they currently have, and seek other drugs approved for the same or similar uses as ranitidine that do not carry the same cancer risks.