Ranitidine 150 mg was previously a widely used medication for treating and preventing stomach ulcers. It belonged to a class of drugs called histamine-2 (H2) blockers. However, in 2020, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) and similar regulatory bodies in other countries recommended the removal of ranitidine from the market.

Why Was Ranitidine Removed?

Low levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a potential carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), were found as an impurity in some ranitidine medications. Out of an abundance of caution, and because there were safer alternatives available, ranitidine was discontinued.