Design Defect Claims Against Name Brand Zantac Defendants Preempted, MDL Judge Rules

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida federal judge has ruled that design defect claims filed against the makers of Zantac (ranitidine) are preempted by federal law because they seek to challenge the drugs’ Food and Drug Administration-approved formula.

However, in the Jan. 8 order, Judge Robin L. Rosenberg of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida granted plaintiffs leave to replead their design defect claims that are based upon the drugs’ labeling. The judge noted that certain states view the adequacy of drug labeling as part of a design defect claim, and the Changes Being Effected …