Apotex, a drugmaker headquartered in Canada, is recalling all of its heartburn medicines containing ranitidine from the U.S., after a potentially cancer-causing impurity was found in them.
The recall affects 13 products, including those sold at Rite Aid, Walmart and Walgreens. Ranitidine, used to control heartburn, is the generic version of Zantac.
Apotex is the second drugmaker to recall the products in the U.S. after regulators flagged a probable human carcinogen, N-nitrosodimethylamine, in the drug. Earlier this week, Sandoz recalled its heartburn medications containing ranitidine.
News of the impurity in a new drug comes as the FDA has been investigating NDMA and other nitrosamine impurities in blood pressure and heart medicines for more than a year. Hundreds of blood pressure medications have been recalled as a result.