Ranitidine, often known as Zantac and various brand names, is a medication used to decrease stomach acid production. It was first legalized in the United States in 1983. Glaxo Holdings Ltd., which was subsequently bought by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, was given permission by the US Food and Drug Administration to market Zantac. It was approved as a therapy for ulcers and heartburn. It was used for both heartburn and acid reflux, commonly known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It was the first medication to sell more than $1 billion in annual sales in 1988. In 2004, Pfizer received FDA approval to commercialize an OTC version of Ranitidine in the United States. Boehringer Ingelheim, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals, and Johnson & Johnson Services also market Ranitidine in this country.
Ranitidine is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist. It was approved because it has been shown to significantly reduce the production of gastric acids in the stomach. Reversible inhibition of H2-receptors in gastric parietal cells decreases both the quantity and concentration of gastric acid. However, once it was revealed that many versions of ranitidine medications had substantial quantities of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), the Food and Drug Administration publicly requested that all Zantac and ranitidine products be withdrawn in the United States in April 2020. NDMA was used in the manufacture of rocket fuel. According to European regulators, Zantac and aranitidine-based heartburn medications would be recalled in October 2020.
Carbamazepine, Ranitidine, and Ibuprofen will see a 50 percent price hike from the current ceiling limit in July 2021, according to India's National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. Because of its contaminated nature, Indian doctors discourage the use of ranitidine.