Sanofi has reached an agreement in principle to settle 4,000 lawsuits in the United States linking the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac to cancer, the company announced.
Sanofi did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. The agreement, which has yet to be finalised, will settle the majority of the lawsuits filed against the French pharmaceutical company in US state courts, with the exception of Delaware, where the majority of the cases are still pending.
Sanofi did not admit any liability in the settlement, but stated that it is settling to avoid the expense and ongoing distraction of litigation.
“Sanofi has vigorously defended the Zantac litigation since the outset and will continue to do so,” the company said in a statement.
The Delaware Superior Court in Wilmington is considering the fate of approximately 70,000 cases filed against Sanofi and other defendants, including GSK (GSK.L), Pfizer (PFE.N), and Boehringer Ingelheim.
GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Pfizer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Plaintiffs and defendants are awaiting the judge’s decision on whether there is enough scientific evidence to support plaintiffs’ claims that Zantac causes cancer.
In 2022, another judge dismissed approximately 50,000 lawsuits making similar claims that had been consolidated in federal court in Florida, providing a significant win for the drugmakers.
Jennifer Moore and Brent Wisner, the lead plaintiffs’ attorneys in the Delaware and California cases, said on Wednesday that they were pleased that Sanofi had reached a settlement while the case against other defendants continues.
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