CVS Pharmacy Pulls Heartburn Drug Zantac From Shelves Over Link To Cancer-Causing Substance
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – CVS Pharmacy says it is pulling the heartburn medication Zantac from its shelves over a possible link to cancer.
The popular over-the-counter drug and CVS' own generic brand – Ranitidine – will not be carried in the stores moving forward after trace amounts of a known carcinogen were found by health officials.
MORE: Cancer-Causing Substance Discovered In Common Heartburn Drug Zantac, FDA Says
Earlier this month, the FDA said some of the pills tested contained small amounts of N-nitrosodimethylamine – or NDMA.
NDMA can cause harm in large amounts, but the levels the FDA found in preliminary tests of ranitidine "barely exceed amounts you might expect to find in common foods," according to a statement from Dr. Janet Woodcock, research director for FDA's Centers for Drug Evaluation and Research.
An official recall of Zantac has not been issued.
The FDA says people shouldn't panic, but suggests switching to another over-the-counter drug while the agency tests more samples.
Drugmaker Novartis had already announced it will no longer distribute generic versions of Zantac due to the discovery.
