Valsartan Lawsuit

You take medicine to manage your blood pressure, thinking you're doing something good for your health. Then you find out the pills you relied on might have been laced with something that could cause cancer.

Certain batches of Valsartan, a common blood pressure drug, were contaminated with N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a substance classified as a probable human carcinogen. This discovery triggered massive recalls and led to thousands of lawsuits against the drug manufacturers.

If you took Valsartan and later received a cancer diagnosis, you likely have many questions. You're probably wondering if the drug caused your illness and what you can do about it. Legal action is underway, and people are seeking compensation.

At Lawsuits.com, our network includes experienced Valsartan Lawsuit Lawyer professionals who are familiar with these types of cases. Call us at (888) 984-6195, and we connect you with a legal professional who reviews your situation.

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Table of contents

• The Valsartan Mess: How Did We Get Here?
• Your Health on the Line: Cancers Linked to NDMA in Valsartan
• The Legal Battlefield: Understanding the Valsartan MDL
• Bellwether Trials: Testing the Waters
• Who Can File a Valsartan Lawsuit? (And What You Need)
• What Kind of Compensation Are We Talking About?
• The Long Road: What to Expect in a Valsartan Lawsuit
• Take Control: Don't Let This Go Unanswered

The Valsartan Mess: How Did We Get Here?

How does a widely prescribed medication end up contaminated with something like NDMA? It traces back to changes in the manufacturing process, particularly involving overseas suppliers like Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical Co. in China, reportedly starting around 2012.

The problem gained public attention in 2018 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced recalls. Testing revealed unacceptable levels of NDMA in Valsartan products sourced from specific manufacturers. 

What exactly is NDMA? The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies N-Nitrosodimethylamine as a Group 2A carcinogen. In plain English, that means it's probably carcinogenic to humans. It's found in some industrial processes and occurs naturally at low levels in certain foods, but the amounts found in the recalled drugs were significantly above acceptable limits.

The FDA, operating under the authority of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. § 355), oversees drug safety and recalls. The agency requires manufacturers to ensure their products are safe and pure. When contamination like this occurs, recalls are initiated, often voluntarily by the companies but under FDA oversight according to regulations like 21 CFR Part 7.

Your Health on the Line: Cancers Linked to NDMA in Valsartan

While research is ongoing, the Valsartan litigation often focuses on cancers that have plausible links to NDMA exposure based on scientific studies. These frequently include:

• Colorectal cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Liver cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Esophageal cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Bladder cancer

Remember, NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen by IARC. This means the evidence points towards a cancer risk, but establishing a direct causal link in any individual case requires careful medical and scientific analysis.

The Legal Battlefield: Understanding the Valsartan MDL

When potentially thousands of people across the country suffer similar harm from the same product, handling each case individually would overwhelm the courts. That’s where a legal tool called Multidistrict Litigation, or MDL, comes in.

An MDL consolidates similar federal lawsuits before one judge for pretrial proceedings. The goal is efficiency – handling shared issues like evidence gathering (discovery) all at once. This process is authorized under federal law (28 U.S.C. § 1407).

The Valsartan lawsuits from across the United States have been consolidated into MDL No. 2875. This MDL is centralized in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, presided over by Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb. This court is now the hub for managing the complex pretrial phase of these cases.

As of mid-2025, the numbers are significant. There were 1,310 active lawsuits pending in the Valsartan MDL, with over 1,480 cases filed in total since the litigation began. This number reflects the widespread impact of the recalls and the serious health concerns involved.

Bellwether Trials: Testing the Waters

Bellwether trials are essentially test cases. A small number of representative lawsuits are selected from the larger pool and prepared for trial. The outcomes of these initial trials – whether they result in verdicts for the plaintiff or defendant, and the size of any damages awarded – provide valuable information. They help both sides gauge the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and heavily influence settlement negotiations for the remaining cases.

For the Valsartan MDL, the first bellwether trial is currently scheduled to begin on September 8, 2025. Cases involving plaintiffs from states like Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, and Tennessee, diagnosed with various cancers including kidney and colorectal cancer, have been part of the selection pool. 

Who Can File a Valsartan Lawsuit? (And What You Need)

Does this whole situation sound disturbingly familiar? Are you wondering if you might have grounds to file a lawsuit? Here's who generally qualifies and what's typically required.

The core requirements usually involve proving two main things:

1. Exposure: You need evidence that you actually took Valsartan (or Losartan/Irbesartan) that was part of the recalls due to NDMA contamination. Simply having a prescription isn't enough; you must link your use to the specific contaminated batches. Pharmacy records, doctor's notes, and sometimes even leftover pills are important here. A March 2025 court order in the MDL emphasized this, requiring plaintiffs to provide documented evidence tying them to specific manufacturers whose products were contaminated.
2. Injury: You need a diagnosis of a type of cancer potentially linked to NDMA exposure. As mentioned earlier, cancers like colorectal, stomach, liver, kidney, and esophageal are frequently cited in these lawsuits. The timing matters too – the diagnosis usually needs to have occurred after a period of taking the contaminated drug.

There's also the statute of limitations to consider. This is a legal deadline for filing a lawsuit. Each state has its own statute of limitations for product liability or personal injury claims, and it typically starts running from the date the injury was discovered (or reasonably should have been discovered). Because these deadlines vary and are complex, talking to a lawyer sooner rather than later is advisable.

The litigation also acknowledges the anxiety and financial burden even for those not diagnosed with cancer. In December 2023, the judge overseeing the MDL certified three distinct plaintiff classes:

• Consumer Economic Loss Class: People who bought the contaminated drugs and want refunds because the product wasn't what they paid for (i.e., it was adulterated).
• Medical Monitoring Class: People who took the contaminated drugs but haven't (yet) been diagnosed with cancer. They seek coverage for the costs of ongoing cancer screening and medical surveillance due to their increased risk.
• Third-Party Payor (TPP) Class: Insurance companies and other payors who covered the cost of the contaminated drugs for patients and are seeking reimbursement.

This class certification means the litigation addresses harms beyond just those who developed cancer, acknowledging the economic losses and the need for preventative health monitoring for those exposed.

What Kind of Compensation Are We Talking About?

For people harmed by contaminated Valsartan, filing a lawsuit is about seeking concrete help to deal with the consequences, going beyond abstract accountability. If a lawsuit is successful, compensation (or "damages") aims to cover the losses suffered.

What might that include? Several types of damages could be pursued:

• Medical Expenses: This covers the costs of treating the cancer allegedly linked to Valsartan. It includes everything from hospital stays, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, medications, and doctor visits, both past and future anticipated costs.
• Lost Wages: If cancer treatment or the illness itself prevented you from working, you could seek compensation for the income you lost. This also includes loss of future earning capacity if you're unable to return to your previous job or work at all.
• Pain and Suffering: This is compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life resulting from the cancer diagnosis and treatment. It's harder to put a dollar figure on, but it's a significant component of personal injury claims.
• Loss of Consortium: In some cases, the spouse of the injured person may claim damages for the loss of companionship, support, and intimacy resulting from the illness.
• Medical Monitoring Costs: As mentioned with the class certifications, individuals exposed to NDMA but not diagnosed with cancer may seek funds to cover the cost of regular cancer screenings.
• Economic Losses (Refunds): For those in the consumer class, this involves getting back the money spent on purchasing the contaminated drug.
• Punitive Damages: In some situations, if a defendant's conduct is found to be particularly reckless or malicious, punitive damages might be awarded. These are intended to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct in the future, rather than just compensate the victim.

The Long Road: What to Expect in a Valsartan Lawsuit

If you believe you have a case and decide to explore legal action, what does the process actually look like? It's usually not quick, and it involves several stages.

First, after you contact a law firm, they'll investigate your claim. This means gathering your medical records, pharmacy records confirming your use of recalled Valsartan, and details about your diagnosis and treatment. They need to assess if your situation meets the criteria for filing a lawsuit within the MDL.

If they determine you have a viable claim, a lawsuit will be filed on your behalf. Because of the MDL, your case would likely be filed directly into or transferred to the District of New Jersey. Once filed, it becomes part of the large pool of cases managed by Judge Bumb.

Next comes the "discovery" phase. This is where both sides exchange information and evidence. Lawyers for the plaintiffs (you) and the defendants (the drug companies) will request documents, take depositions (sworn testimony under oath), and consult with medical and scientific professionals. This is often the longest part of the process.

Throughout this time, there will likely be ongoing settlement negotiations. Lawyers for both sides might try to reach an agreement to resolve groups of cases or even the entire litigation. The results of the bellwether trials play a big role here. A strong showing for plaintiffs in the bellwether trials increases pressure on the defendants to offer substantial settlements.

We've already seen some movement on this front. As of June 2024, reports indicated a settlement involving claims against one defendant, Hetero Labs, was being finalized. This could cover both personal injury claims and class action claims related to their specific products.

If a global settlement covering most cases isn't reached, individual cases might eventually be sent back to their original federal courts for trial after the MDL pretrial proceedings conclude. However, the goal of the MDL and bellwether process is often to facilitate a large-scale resolution before that happens.

Take Control: Don't Let This Go Unanswered

Manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe. When they fail, holding them accountable serves two purposes: seeking compensation for victims and demanding better safety standards. If you or a loved one took recalled Valsartan, Losartan, or Irbesartan and were later diagnosed with cancer, exploring your legal options is a reasonable step.

The legal process, especially something like an MDL, seems complicated. But you don't have to figure it out alone. The team at Lawsuits.com is here to connect you with lawyers who handle these specific types of pharmaceutical cases. A conversation helps you understand if you might have a claim and what comes next.

Take the first step. Call us today at (888) 984-6195. Lawsuits.com connects you with a lawyer in our network who listens to your story and discusses your potential Valsartan lawsuit.