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The pharmacy chains Walgreens, Rite Aid and CVS have moved to stop selling the heartburn medicine Zantac and its generic versions after the Food and Drug Administration warned this month that it had detected low levels of a cancer-causing chemical in samples of the drug. A Walgreens spokesman said in a statement on Monday that the company had pulled the drug from its shelves “while the FDA continues its review of the products.” A Rite Aid spokesman said the company was “in the process of removing Zantac and generic versions sold under the Rite Aid name from its shelves.” (Garcia, 9/30)

The decision by the pharmacy giants adds to a flurry of worldwide concern about the drug. Major manufacturers of the generic form, ranitidine, have announced recalls, and other countries have requested that companies halt distribution of the drug or issued recalls. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been investigating the possible risk to patients, as well. (Johnson and Bellware, 9/30)

Some Zantac products, known in generic form as ranitidine, have been recalled in the U.S. by manufacturers. Pharmacies are also beginning to halt sales of the drugs until more is known about the levels of a likely carcinogen that regulators around the world have found in the medicines. (Edney, 9/30)

Sanofi, the company that makes Zantac, said in a statement that the FDA has found the amounts of the carcinogen NDMA in its drug “barely exceed amounts found in common foods.” “We are working closely with the FDA and are conducting our own robust investigations to ensure we continue to meet the highest quality safety and quality standards,” the company said. (Sullivan, 9/30)