GSK PLC (LSE:GSK, NYSE:GSK) has struck a deal to stop a high profile case concerning its heartburn drug Zantac heading to court in California.
The FTSE 100-listed pharma giant said it reached a confidential settlement in the Cantlay/Harper case over allegations Zantac caused cancer.
The case, which was set to begin trial on 13 November, will be dismissed.
GSK said it has also settled the three remaining breast cancer bellwether cases in California and it will be dismissed from these cases, removing all related pre-trial hearings for the company.
The settlements reflect the company's desire to avoid the distraction related to protracted litigation, it said.
GSK does not admit any liability in the settlements and will continue to vigorously defend itself based on the facts and the science in all other Zantac cases.
GSK and other drugmakers that have previously owned Zantac are facing lawsuits claiming that the drug causes cancer because it contains small amounts of N-nitrosodimethylamine, known as NDMA.
NDMA is commonly ingested in small amounts but can cause cancer in humans when more is consumed.
Sanofi voluntarily withdrew the drug from the market in 2019 when the US regulator began investigating small amounts of NDMA.
In 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Zantac appeared to produce unacceptably high levels of the chemical when exposed to heat and requested its removal from the market.