Is there a Valsartan Cancer Lawsuit?

Yes. Valsartan cancer lawsuits are being filed by individuals after it was discovered that many generic versions of the popular blood pressure drug Valsartan were contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a known carcinogen that can increase the risk of liver, colorectal, stomach, and other forms of cancer.

Concerns over valsartan cancer risks were first raised in 2018, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced several Valsartan recalls following the discovery that changes in the manufacturing processes of the active pharmaceutical ingredient led to NDMA contamination. While the contamination was first detected in 2018, potentially contaminated Valsartan products had been on the market since as early as 2012, exposing thousands of individuals to the cancer-causing impurity.

As a result, individual valsartan cancer lawsuits and valsartan class action lawsuits are now being filed against the pharmaceutical companies claiming their use of contaminated valsartan drugs caused them to develop cancer.

Who Qualifies for a Valsartan Lawsuit?
Financial compensation and settlement benefits may be available through a valsartan class action lawsuit for individuals who were diagnosed with;

  • Bladder Cancer
  • Colon Cancer
  • Colorectal Cancer
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Intestinal Cancer
  • Leukemia
  • Liver Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Multiple Myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Rectal Cancer
  • Small Intestine Cancer
  • Stomach or Gastric Cancer

How do I Join the Valsartan Lawsuit?

To start a Valsartan lawsuit, contact the valsartan recall lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. for a free consultation. Our lawyers are pursuing individual cancer lawsuits, as well as valsartan class action lawsuits for individuals nationwide who received drugs containing NDMA and developed cancer.

All cases are handled by our valsartan recall lawyers on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are no out-of-pocket costs to hire our law firm, and we do not receive any attorney fees or expenses unless you or a loved one obtain a recovery.

Find Out If You Have a Valsartan Recall Case

2024 Valsartan Lawsuit Updates

Following a series of recalls finding cancer causing impurities in many generic valsartan medications, valsartan lawsuits claim that the pharmaceutical companies were negligent in ensuring the safety and quality of their products, as well as failing to adequately warn individuals taking valsartan and healthcare providers about the potential risks associated with NDMA contamination.

  • February 2024 Update: The U.S. JPML issued a new multidistrict litigation statistics report this month indicating there are a total of 1,226 valsartan lawsuits actively pending in the Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation as of February 1, 2024, with the potential for hundreds of additional claims to come forth throughout 2024.
  • December 2023 Update: The federal judge presiding over the Valsartan MDL certified three classes of plaintiffs including Consumer Economic Loss, Medical Monitoring, and Third Party Payor (“TPP”) Class, as well as some some subclasses in the valsartan litigation.
  • December 2022 Update: The U.S. District Judge overseeing valsartan NDMA lawsuits denied a renewed request by defendants to exclude plaintiffs’ expert witnesses, despite a recent order dismissing Zantac lawsuits involving the same cancer-causing contaminant. Defendants sought reconsideration, citing flaws highlighted in a related case, or certification for interlocutory appeal. However, Judge Kugler swiftly rejected the motion in an order (PDF), emphasizing that there is “no scientific doubt about the presence of nitrosamines in the human body upon ingestion of the ‘valsartan-containing drugs containing NDMA or NDEA’ (VCDs) because the VCDs contained nitrosamine before ingestion”.
  • March 2022 Update: In a case management order (PDF) dated March 3, Judge Kugler appointed retired U.S. District Judges Gregory M. Sleet and Lawrence F. Stengel as settlement special masters in the valsartan litigation. Their role is to lead advanced valsartan settlement negotiations, aiming to resolve the litigation without the necessity of numerous trials.
  • December 2020 Update: The judge presiding over the valsartan MDL denied several motions to dismiss from defendant drug manufacturers, rejecting arguments claiming federal preemption under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, signaling the court’s determination to proceed with the litigation.
  • December 2019 Update: A federal panel of judges decided to consolidate all losartan and irbesartan lawsuits from U.S. District Courts with the ongoing valsartan litigation. This decision was made due to the similar allegations across these cases, involving contamination of generic blood pressure drugs with cancer-causing chemicals.
  • February 2019 Update: The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued a transfer order on February 14, 2019, centralizing all valsartan cancer lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in the District of New Jersey for pretrial proceedings.

Valsartan NDMA Recall Timeline

Bottles of medicine from Valsartan recall lawsuit


August 2002

Valsartan approved for treatment of hypertension under brand name Diovan

2014

First generic valsartan introduced in the United States

2015-2018

Reports involving valsartan and cancer diagnosed among users surface.

July 2018

FDA and European regulators recall Valsartan distributed by several drug makers.


Valsartan and valsartan HCTZ are drugs that are used to treat high blood pressure that were first sold under the brand name Diovan. However, in recent years, prescriptions are typically filled with generic equivalents that are now sold by a number of different drug makers.

Concerns about the link between side effects of valsartan and cancer first emerged in early July 2018, after it was discovered that active ingredients supplied by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals in China, tested positive for NDMA, which is known to pose serious health side effects, including an increased risk of cancer.

It was subsequently discovered that the certain versions of the hypertension drug were contaminated for years, exposing users to an increased risk of cancers as the chemicals travel through the body.

On July 13, the FDA announced valsartan recalls impacting pills sold by Major Pharmaceuticals, Solco Healthcare, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Prinston Pharmaceuticals.

A few weeks later, the recall was expanded to include some or all versions of valsartan distributed by certain repackagers, including:

  • A-S Medication Solutions LLC
  • AvKARE
  • RemedyRepack
  • Bryant Ranch Prepack Inc.
  • H.J. Harkins Company, Inc.
  • Lake Erie Medical, doing business as Quality Care Products LLC
  • NuCare Pharmaceuticals
  • Proficient Rx

According to FDA investigators, NDMA in valsartan appears to be a byproduct and impurity resulting from the manufacturing process. Evidence suggests that contaminated versions of valsartan medications have been distributed for at least four years, and that the risk of cancer from valsartan may continue for years after last use of the recalled pills.

NDMA has been a known human carcinogen since at least 2005. The EPA has set a maximum daily limit of 96 nanograms of NDMA per day. However, recalled valsartan pills may have had levels of NDMA that exceed those safe limits, according to the FDA.

It appears that the manufacturers of generic valsartan failed to conduct adequate testing to ensure that the drugs were safe for consumers before being introduced to the valsartan supply chain, potentially exposing them to a cancer-causing agent for years.

The impurity NDMA found in generic valsartan pills is a known human carcinogen.

The valsartan cancer lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential lawsuits linking the use of these blood pressure medications to liver cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and the development of other malignancies.

If you or family member have been diagnosed with cancer, request a free consultation. All valsartan cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are never any out-of-pocket expenses and no fees unless a recovery is obtained.

Valsartan Cancer Lawsuit Multidistrict Litigation

Shortly after the series of Valsartan recalls were issued, a growing number of valsartan class action lawsuits and individual valsartan cancer lawsuits were filed against the drug manufacturers, pharmacies and other entities throughout the federal court system, each raising similar questions of fact that valsartan pills were sold for years with a cancer-causing impurity that can increase the risk of cancer.

In response to the growing number of claims, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) issued a transfer order (PDF) in October 2018, ordering all valsartan cases pending throughout the federal court system to centralized before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler in the District of New Jersey as part of a consolidated valsartan litigation.

In complex product liability litigation, where a large number of individuals are pursuing claims involving the same or similar allegations, it is common for the U.S. JPML to centralize similar cases from various jurisdictions to streamline pretrial proceedings and promote efficiency in the legal process. Centralizing these cases allows for consistent management and facilitates coordination among parties involved in the litigation.

As of February 2024, there are currently 1,226 valsartan class action lawsuits and personal injury claims filed in the Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, and the number of claims are expected climb throughout 2024 and 2025 as new cancer diagnosis are received by previous users.

Valsartan Class Action Lawsuit

A federal court in New Jersey has approved a class action lawsuit against several generic valsartan manufacturers. This lawsuit is not just for people who developed cancer but also for those who purchased the contaminated drugs but haven’t developed cancer (yet) and for the health insurance plans that paid for these medications.

The plaintiffs in these class action lawsuits are seeking refunds for buying the potentially harmful medicines and also want the drug companies to cover the costs of medical monitoring, such as cancer screening, for those who were exposed to the contaminated drugs.

The companies that produced the contaminated valsartan pills opposed the formation of these class action lawsuits, arguing that they were too complex and difficult to manage. However, the court disagreed with their arguments and certified the class actions, allowing the lawsuits to move forward.

Who is eligible for the Valsartan Class Action Lawsuit?

The valsartan class action lawsuit encompasses various classes of individuals and entities affected by the distribution and consumption of valsartan-containing drugs. The three descriptions of class members involved in the lawsuit include a consumer economic loss class, medical monitoring class, and a third party payer class.

Consumer Economic Loss Class

This includes all individuals in the United States and its territories who have paid for a valsartan-containing medication made, distributed, or sold by any defendant from January 1, 2012, up to the final recall date of November 10, 2021.

If you bought valsartan medication during that time, you might be part of this group.

Medical Monitoring Class

This applies to people living in the United States and its territories and possessions (except for Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and North Dakota) who have ingested a high cumulative lifetime amount of NDMA or NDEA from generic valsartan-containing medications.

These medications must have been made by any defendant responsible for producing the active pharmaceutical ingredients or finished doses and have been available in the United States and its territories since January 1, 2012, at the earliest.

If you took certain heart medications and live in most U.S. states, you might be eligible for medical monitoring due to exposure to these substances.

Third Party Payer Class

This encompasses all third-party payors or any organization that paid money in the United States for contaminated valsartan medications between January 1, 2012, and November 10, 2021, from specific manufacturers or sellers.

If your organization paid for certain heart medications during that time, you might be part of this group.

While the courts certification of the class actions does not mean a judgment has been made, it’s an important step towards determining who among the class members may be entitled to compensation and how much.

Valsartan Lawsuit Settlements

Individuals are now seeking valsartan lawsuit settlements for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other damages incurred as a result of their cancer diagnosis.

If you have been taking any of the Valsartan medications contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine and have suffered from stomach, prostate, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, intestinal, esophageal, or blood cancers, our attorneys will seek the following damages on your behalf:

  • Compensation for past and future medical expenses incurred to treat your injuries.
  • Recovery for past and future pain and suffering resulting from your injuries, encompassing both physical and mental anguish.
  • Lost wages, if applicable.
  • Any other financial losses suffered due to your injuries.
  • Potential punitive damages, if deemed appropriate under the circumstances.

To find out how much your valsartan lawsuit could be worth, contact our valsartan lawyers for a free consultation.

Contact Our Valsartan Lawyers

Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. is a nationally known injury law firm that is focused exclusively on representing individuals, we do not represent corporations or insurance companies.

Over the course of more than 40 years, our personal injury lawyers have collected more than $1 billion in compensation for our clients in cases of medical malpractice, automobile accidents, product liability and other personal injury lawsuits.

All valsartan cancer lawsuits will be handled by our attorneys on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are never any out-of-pocket expenses to hire our law firm and we only receive a fee if compensation is secured for our client.

Protect your family and find out if you or a loved one may be eligible for a valsartan lawsuit. Request a free consultation and case evaluation.

CONTACT OUR VALSARTAN LAWYERS No Fees or Expenses Unless a Recovery is Obtained.

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