Health

FDA Asks Manufacturers To Pull Zantac Products Off The Market

The FDA is urging manufacturers to pull Zantac and generic versions from shelves because they contain a probable human carcinogen.

FDA Asks Manufacturers To Pull Zantac Products Off The Market
Wilfredo Lee / AP

The FDA is asking manufacturers to remove all Zantac products and generic versions from store shelves "immediately." That includes prescription and over-the-counter versions. 

Ranitidine is the generic version of the heartburn medication. The agency said people taking Zantac or generic forms of the antacid should stop. 

According to the FDA, an ongoing investigation found the medications have a contaminant in them that could cause cancer. The World Health Organization considers the substance, NDMA, a "probable human carcinogen."

The FDA said storing some ranitidine products at high temperatures "may result in consumer exposure to unacceptable levels of this impurity." The agency said it did not find unacceptable levels of NDMA in several of the samples it tested, but it's not taking any chances. 

The New York Times is reporting most manufacturers have already removed Zantac products from the market. Large pharmacy chains, like CVS and Walgreens, have also removed the products from their shelves. 

Contains footage from CNN.