Kolkata: Stomach acid-controlling drug Ranitidine, which is sold under the brand name Rantac and Zantac, has seen a sharp spurt in prescriptions after a recent US court ruling that dismissed lawsuits saying that it had no ‘science-driven sound scientific evidence’ that establishes its link with cancer.
Testing of the drug showed an ‘unprovable risk’ between the product and the terminal disease, which includes lung, liver, and kidney cancer. Physicians in Kolkata said they were relieved at the ruling since Rantac has been a widely prescribed drug which has been effective for many decades.
Unlike newer alternatives, Rantac reduces stomach acid production by around 60 per cent, said RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) intensivist Sauren Panja.
“It has been regularly prescribed since the mid-eighties and has been effective. As a physician, I felt it was safe till the concerns were raised about it causing cancer. Some alternatives are available but they are not safe since they reduce acid production by almost 100 per cent. This could be risky and have multiple side-effects including gastro-intestinal infections, upset stomach, indigestion, gas, hair loss, weakness and even renal failure,” said Panja.
“There had been a concern which is now gone. Some patients would be hesitant to take it and they will now be relieved,” Panja added.
If Rantac caused cancer, half of the Indian population would have been suffering from it by now, said internal medicine consultant Arindam Biswas. “Its composition has nothing to trigger cancer. If it had, then many would be affected by now. It’s safe since it has been used for many years. Fortunately, the concerns have been addressed and it will not be substituted by drugs which are dubious,” said Biswas.
Sale of Rantac has remained unchanged across Kolkata and the east, according to Bengal Chemists and Druggists Association secretary Sajal Ganguly. “Rantac’s alternative Zantac has not been available for several years now. So, it has continued to be used by patients and prescribed by physicians who have maintained that it’s safe.
Ranitidine has been in existence for over four decades and has been on WHO list of essential medicines for several years. In India, it has been dropped from National List of Essential Medicines along with 25 other drugs but officials have clarified that it has no side-effects.
