Sanofi has agreed to settle about 4,000 lawsuits alleging that the drugmaker failed to warn patients of cancer risks tied to its heartburn drug Zantac, The Wall Street Journal reported April 3.
The agreement would resolve all personal-injury cases pending in state courts other than Delaware. Sanofi said it believes the claims do not have merit but reached a settlement to avoid the expense and distraction of litigation, according to the report.
The drugmaker did not disclose financial details of the settlement but told Bloomberg that the amount will not have a material effect on its finances since it reflects "the limited time during which Sanofi marketed Zantac and the strong defenses available to Sanofi in these cases."
Sanofi recalled Zantac in 2019 after the FDA warned the heartburn drug contained a possible carcinogen. A new formulation of Zantac — free of the carcinogen — has since returned to the market.