Losartan Class Action Lawsuit Seeks Compensation for Buyers of Recalled Drugs

The makers of numerous batches of recalled generic losartan face a class action lawsuit, which says that contaminated versions of the hypertension drug sold in recent years were worthless, due to the presence of cancer-causing impurities.

The complaint (PDF) was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on May 21, by a number of plaintiffs who seek class action status against generic losartan manufacturers to obtain reimbursements for individuals who bought the recalled drugs, as well as medical monitoring for those who now face a potential risk of developing cancer in the future.

The losartan class action lawsuit names Camber Pharmaceuticals, Hetero USA Inc., and Legacy Pharmaceutical Packaging, LLC, as defendants.

Valsartan Recall Lawyers for Cancer Claims
Valsartan Recall Lawyers for Cancer Claims

In July 2018, the FDA began an ongoing series of recalls for losartan, valsartan and similar hypertension drugs, which were sold for years laced with traces of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) or N-Nitroso-N-methyl-4-aminobutyric acid (NMBA). The agency has determined that the chemicals are likely a byproduct of the generic drug manufacturing process, and are all known human carcinogens. The impurities have been linked to reports of liver cancer, kidney cancer, gastric cancer and other digestive tract cancers among individuals who received the tainted valsartan.

The recalled losartan and valsartan ingredients were manufactured primarily by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. in China and Hetero Labs in India, impacting most of the U.S. supply for the blood pressure drugs.

This lawsuit specifically focuses on the recalled generic losartan tablets. In February, Camber announced a recall of 87 lots of Losartan Tablets, all manufactured by Hetero Labs in India due to the presence of NMBA. This was followed by a recall by Legacy in March, affecting 40 lots of Losartan Tablets also tainted with NMBA.

The complaint notes that the presence of the impurity means that they are not equivalent to the original brand-name drugs they are modeled after, which never had this problem.

“Generic drugs reach the market when the brand-name version of the drug comes off patent, and other competitors are able to seek approval for, market, and sell bioequivalent versions of the brand-name drug. These generic equivalents are supposed to be of equal quality and equal safety,” the lawsuit notes. “Here, the losartan-containing drugs manufactured, distributed, and sold by Camber, Hetero and Legacy are supposed to be equivalent to the brand-name drugs. However, they are not because they suffer from a manufacturing defect which caused their generic losartan to become contaminated with NMBA.”

The losartan lawsuit indicates this makes the drugs unsafe, and effectively worthless, since they were not fit for human consumption. However, plaintiffs and all class members paid for the drugs and consumed them believing they were safe.

The complaint seeks reimbursement for those purchases, and also seeks to have the defendants pay for medical monitoring of anyone who used the recalled drugs, to ensure that any cases of cancer are detected as early as possible for the best potential treatment.

The case joins a growing number of losartan and valsartan class action lawsuits all seeking similar reimbursements and medical monitoring funding.

In addition, there are also a number of individual losartan and valsartan recall lawsuits filed in recent months by individuals who indicate they were left with liver cancer, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, gastric cancer and other injuries following exposure to the impurities.


137 Comments


Lori
I took the Losartan in 2019 and started out with 10 mg then to 25 mg then 100 mg ending in 6 /2020 I hope I’m cancer free burmt I did ha e breast cancer in 2015 stage 4.

Jared
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)?? A human carcinogen? Better check if your municipality uses chloramines instead of chlorine to disinfect tap water. Because a very very large percentage of the population in California at least is exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), everyday from the tap water. Because they get around limits on disinfectant byproducts that chlorine makes by using Chloramines instead because the disinfectant byproducts produced by the chloramines do not have any limits imposed yet.

Gail
I was talking losartan for years, and have lung cancer

Lee
I took the 100mg potassium

Laura
I was prescribed only 25mg of Losartin 5/10/24 for high BP. Only 4 months later, on 9/9/24 I awoke with the first terrible attack of what I am now diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, which is incurable. I quit Losartin that day, discovering the inner ear and MANY other terrible side effects I had. This drug should be taken off the market.

Tammy
My doctor put me on Losartan in 2016. I have complained of joint and muscle cramps and was told to take Tylenol instead of changing medication. Now I have a positive cologuard test. The doctors should be changing my medication instead of ignoring the side effects.

Latanya
I’m on 25mg lasartan should I stop taking this medication

Larry
Just found out been on Losartan over 3 years what’s my next step

Bettye
My Son have been on Losartan with potassium for about 2yrs. He now has kidney failure. Now the doctor just took him off a month ago. But he has kidney failure.

Burrell
On dialysis now needs a kidney

Kathryn
I took Losartan 100 mg for many years, most recently labelled as Cozaar from Alembic Pharmac. I do not know if I earlier took other generics covered by the major lawsuits. I stopped taking Losartan in Ocober 2023 as BP dropped after a right hemicolectomy due to a very aggressive tumor growing approximately 3 inches before my 5 year followup colonoscopsy. I had followup chemotherapy, and was left with paresthesias, fatigue and brain fog. How do I get a record of prescriptions going back many years, with pharmacy changes? Am I eligible to join the lawsuit?

Paul
I’ve got all that stuf

Somya
Why would my Physician Assistant prescribe me Losartan Potassium knowing it was banned and causes cancer. Saying it was safe after i complained about Lisinipril Is that malpractice?

Florence
I am presently prescribed Losartan but have been recently diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and a recent ultrasound determined a cyst on one of my kidneys

Mary
I was put on Losartan in May of 2020 for high blood pressure age 56 and I was diagnosed with High Grade, High Risk, Progressive Bladder Cancer in January 2023 I am currently in treatment, I have been in treatment for 1 year with a treatment plan of 3 years as of now. I did not fit the criteria for bladder cancer, besides being a female, I have never been a smoker, no 2nd hand smoke nor any of the other common ways of getting bladder cancer.

Tammie
I am taking Losartan 50mg , should I stop taking this

Robin
A nurse practitioner perscribed Losartan for high blood pressure. Within 3 months my hair started falling out. I have lost over half of my hair and it continues to fall out. I have had numerous conversations with her regarding this. She said it’s a Beta blocker and does not cause hair loss. After doing my own research, I discovered other people have complained about this same issue. I stopped taking it over 2 months ago. It is a terrible drug.

Sherry
On Losartan xs yrs. Consults regarding hlth risk. Ty Sherry

Patricia
Is there a law suit against lostran

Gilbert
I’ve been taking losartan for around 6 years and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. I’m 53 years old.

Albert
I was prescribed losartan many years ago ‘to protect my kidneys’ due to having type 2 diabetes. I never took it. Nor do I take any drug without research and need to take it. I had no problems that warranted use of this drug, like so many drugs being prescribed these days. I’m not a ginea pig and my body isn’t for experimentation by doctors and drug companies. Be proactive with your own health. Use your head and don’t let them use your body up. It’s the only one you got!!

Gerardo
LOSARTAN DAMAGE MY KIDNEY , LIVER AND CAUSE ME CANCER

Ebonie
I have gastric pain and bypass surgery and body pain do to this medicine…

Mark
I was on Losartan for the better part of ten years. I was finally taken off it by my doctor after I raised concerns over the cancer issues. Two years later I was diagnosed with Nano Carcinoma in my right lung. I went through chemo and immunotherapy for over a year and lost half of my right lung. Than this past year I was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and again went through chemo and radiation therapy

Lafontant
As I see there is a class action lawsuit, I submit ma case to the lawyer (s)!

Shirley
I’ve been taking losartan for a number of years now and suffers with back and legs pain daily. I was always given other excuses for my chronic pain but never has my primary doctor mentioned the possibility that it could be related to losartan use.

Warren
Been taking Losartan, evert time I take it, it makes me dizzy. The recommendation I always hear it, to set down, don’t drive. Also hear, Losartan cause cancer and should be taken off the market. If Losartan cause cancer and other problems within a person body. Why is FDA and doctors still prescribing it to patients?

Tina
I have developed 3rd stage kidney dease

Alejandro
Losartan left me in a wheelchair unable to walk. No one will give me answers to the extent of the damage or the length it will take to fully recover if that’s even an option. I had 8 subsequent falls in less than a month which led to a spinal but injury that required surgery but because of of this damn injury they are blaming my injury as the cause of my issues. This drug is dangerous and I don’t know why it’s still allowed to be sold. I think I would have died of I hadn’t figured out the cause of my issues myself. I ran the full gamit of side effects. But it wasn’t until they upped my dose that I was able to figure it out. All the doctors wrote it off as progression of my diabetic neuropathy. Has anyone had this severe reaction any encouraging information would be greatly appreciated. I have been dealing with this since mid February of this year and I was on the drug for a little over 2 years.

Dionne
I was on Losartan about 4 years ago had tongue swollen and was taken off was recently put back on Losartan like a year ago because the Doctor said it was safe to take again I developed body aches in my side my stomach and breathing problems my tongue had swollen again and my breast has a infected node probably caused from the Losartan was taken off right away and given a shot in my arms to help bring down the swelling of my tongue faster she said my Doctor told me all this was from the Losartan again

Barbara
I have taken losarton for many years, a year ago I needed surgery for my back, I had a xray before surgery and my doctor found cancer in my right kidney since that I have have the kidney removed while watching for more cancer in the kidneys

Thomas
My wife took Losartan for quite a number of years, if you need the exact number I would have to contact her primary care doctor. She suffered in pain for a long time and I took her to many different doctors before we found out she had pancreatic cancer. She passed away June 2020.

Melissa
December 5th 2022 I’ve been on Losartan for a couple of years now. I had some vehicle issues for about 2 months and couldn’t get my medicine so I wasn’t taking for those 2 months. I just started back last week and noticed all the stomach issues I’ve been having off and on since last year are back and worse than ever. I’m hungry even when full but at the same time I’m in a whole lot of pain in the upper left quadrant of my stomach in my intestines days on end now and I stopped taking it yesterday. I’m still in pain today. Nausea, Vomiting,tired. I suppose some of my skin itching too. The stomach issues are so horrible I wouldn’t wish them on an enemy. I found out today when I wentnto my doctor to discuss my symptoms that I’m one of several people who have complained to her about Losartan over the last several weeks and Now I’m researching and this is one of the first places I have landed. I wasn’t aware of any Losartan recall either.

Rafael
Been drinking this medicine now I have kidney problems.

Christina
I got A rare form of Blood Cancer from Losartan Polycythemia Vera. It’s a blood cancer that happens in your bone marrow. How do I find the attorneys working this case for the class action law suit?

guy
I took Losartan from Torrent. I developed non polyp aggressive colon cancer in a relative short amount of time.

Delrico
I have been prescribed and taking “losartan pot” 50mg tabs. For about 4yrs. I DO NOT LIKE THE SIDE EFFECTS”. It just doesn’t feel right. I was diagnosed with “CML” CHRONIC MYELOID LEUKEMIA In 2011. Since it was found to be conclusive that I have “CML”. I wonder if this “losartan pot” has contributed to any of the other ailments that I have. Please contact me and let’s talk about it. Peace

Edward
I take losartan and feel chest pains heavy breathing at times I thought It was just because I was putting on weight

Earnest
Ever since I have taken losartan I know been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, diabetes, and some kidney problems.

Dorothy
I took that med for year. Now have 44 percentage of kidney function.

Janice
I developed colon cancer after taking losartan.. there was no histology to my cancer was one that just grew per the doctor

Devon
I was recently hospitalized where my throat literally started to close my family doctor then told me it was due to the lorsartin that I was taken ive taken it atheist 10 years.

Maribeth
My mother in law took a bad batch from Torrent Phar Losarten. WE want to find a lawyer since she has now died of kidney cancer

Carolyn
I was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure and a spot on my kidney and heart problems

Rosemarie
I now have stage three kidney problems.

Robert
I received the infected lot and still have the empty container’s because I heard from my pharmacy about the infected lot. Now after almost 4 years I now have a 4cm syst on my kidney the doctor says they are 90% sure it’s cancer and must remove the kidney.

Bruce
I’ve taken those heart and now for 3 to 5 years and I’m not feeling well everyday I’m feeling very sick nauseous pain neck pain and stomach pain and through I throw up every morning I tell the doctors they tell me to take food I still throw up I’m not doing well I never get anywhere to get a doctor to fix it or change it they won’t do anything and I’m getting sicker and sicker by the day and I need help from someone to help me I need someone to add me or put me on this list for the class action because I got to get off this medicine or have someone help me tell a doctor cuz I eat an advocate cuz of my disability cuz I’m having bipolar and PTSD and disabilities that affect my developmental disabilities

Morton
I’ve been passing out after taking losartan. I take it in the evening and this morning I passed out in the bathroom. When I came to, I was on the floor and had severe back pain, what may be a broken nose, Going to the doctor to be checked out. I also had bladder cancer.

Paula
I have took losartan for 7 yrs now I have kidney disease

Gary
I am a very I’ll larsaton victim who needs legal representation.

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