Latest news with #OhioAG
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio AG accuses company of covering cancer risks of Zantac in lawsuit
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is pushing to lead a class-action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He is accusing GSK, formerly known as GlaxoSmithKline, of hiding the cancer risks of its once-popular heartburn drug, Zantac. Yost filed a motion on Monday requesting that the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) be appointed as co-lead plaintiff alongside the Indiana Public Retirement System according to an Ohio AG's spokesperson. TRENDING STORIES: Dayton man learns punishment for coercing minors, making child porn 48-year-old man accused of stealing over $32 million in wire fraud facing charges Freeze Warning for entire region; cold, frosty morning OPERS reportedly lost over $14 million due to the alleged misconduct. The lawsuit aims to seek damages for the investors who felt the company was not being honest about the drug's potential cancer risk that they had known about prior, the Ohio AG's office said. The lawsuit alleges that the company misled investors about Zantac's safety. 'The company knew about its product's link to cancer but kept it a secret for decades,' Yost said. 'The reckless cover-up had tragic health consequences for patients and caused serious financial harm for investors.' Zantac was prescribed over 15 million times annually after being introduced in the United States in 1983. The Ohio AG's office claims that GSK and its predecessor company hit an internal study in 1982 that showed Zantac can break down into compounds linked with causing cancer called NDMA. In 2019, an independent lab revealed the danger and caused several cancer-stricken patients to sue the company. Zantac was removed from the market entirely in 2020. Reuters reported back in October that GSK agreed to settle about 80,000 Zantac lawsuits and agreed to pay over $2 billion to settle most lawsuits in U.S. state courts. The agreement with 10 plaintiffs' law firms resolves about 80,000 cases, or 93% of cases pending against the British drugmaker in state courts nationwide, the company said. GSK also said it would pay $70 million to settle a related whistleblower lawsuit filed by a Connecticut laboratory. GSK did not admit wrongdoing as part of the deal, saying in a statement that there was 'no consistent or reliable evidence' that ranitidine, the drug's active ingredient, increased the risk of cancer, Reuters reported. However, it said the settlements were in the best long-term interest of the company to avoid the risk of continuing litigation. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Local home show kicks off this weekend
HERMITAGE, Pa. (WKBN) — Another home show will kick off in the Valley this weekend just over the border in Pennsylvania. Read next: Ohio AG suing local home decor retailer The Mercer County Home Show, sponsored by the Mercer County Builders Association, is on Saturday, March 22 in Hermitage. The show is for homeowners, renters and just about anyone interested in home improvement. There will be more than 40 exhibitors ranging from plumbers and electricians to builders, landscapers and home renovation experts. There will even be real estate professionals and a financial advisor. Jim McLusky is the board director of the Mercer County Builders Association and also owns McLusky's Showcase Kitchens and Baths in New Wilmington. He says the show is a little on the smaller scale so people will have more time to really talk with vendors and not feel rushed. 'You are going to see everything from the home builders to similar companies like us. And the majority of vendors you will see are members of the Mercer County Builder's Association so they are a trusted organization,' McLusky said. 'So you will be able to kick the tires, talk to the businesses. You'll be able to set up appointments if you like.' Even though the show is in Hermitage, everyone from anywhere is invited to stop out. 'We wanted to reach out further into other areas,' McLusky said. 'Not just Mercer County, but into the Ohio area, Lawrence County.' There will also be several prizes given away every hour during the show as attendees will have a chance to win a $100 restaurant gift card. Mercer County Food Bank will have donation bins set up for non-perishable items and the Girl Scouts will be there selling cookies. The Mercer County Home Show is happening on Saturday at the Hickory VFW Normandy Banquet Center located at 5550 State Street in Hermitage. The show runs from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and admission is free. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
