Who makes zantac?

Ah, Zantac. The heartburn-relieving medicine that allows you to eat your weight in spicy food without feeling like a fire-breathing dragon afterwards. But have you ever wondered about the people behind this magical pill? Who are they, and how did they come up with such a deliciously effective solution for our digestive woes? Well, wonder no more my friend! It’s time to dive into the fascinating world of who makes Zantac.

What is Zantac?

First things first, let’s get down to basics. In case you’re not familiar with it yet (shame), Zantac is an over-the-counter medication used to relieve symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux. Its technical name is ranitidine hydrochloride (try saying that five times fast) and it works by reducing the amount of acid your stomach produces.

Now you might be thinking, “but wait a minute…if I have less acid in my stomach won’t that mess up my digestion?” Not so fast there champ! Despite what popular belief may tell us, our bodies actually need some amount of gastric acid in order to break down food properly – but when we produce too much, that’s when issues arise. So basically zantac helps keep everything running smoothly without going overboard.

Who Created Zantac?

Ok now onto the juicy stuff (nom nom). You see way back in 1977 (the good ol’ days) two brilliant scientists named James Black and Prakash Jain set out on a mission to find a better treatment for ulcers than what was currently available at the time (which wasn’t much).

Through countless experiments and trials (picture crazy haired scientists maniacally mixing chemicals together), they eventually discovered ranitidine – aka ZANTAC! It didn’t take long before everyone realized just how amazing this little pill was (cue choir of angels singing).

Who Makes Zantac Today?

Unfortunately (dun dun duuuun) the answer to this question isn’t as straightforward as we would hope. You see back in 1983, an incredibly clever little company called GlaxoSmithKline (GSK for short) bought the rights to ranitidine and started manufacturing Zantac.

They held onto their little goldmine for over 30 years (cue maniacal laughter) until…you guessed it…everything went belly up (pun intended ‘cause sometimes I just can’t help myself). In September of 2019, a major recall was issued on all forms of ranitidine sold in both prescription and over-the-counter forms due to possible contamination from a potential human carcinogen. Yep – that’s right folks! Potentially cancer-causing STILL makes my skin crawl!

And while some companies have tried (emphasis on ‘tried’) resurrecting versions of ranitidine with different ingredients since then, currently GSK is still holding tight onto their patent (cough cough money grab cough).

Other Companies that Make Ranitidine

Now waitttt let’s not panic just yet! There are other pharmaceutical companies such as Perrigo Company plc, Hetero Labs Ltd., Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC who also produce generic versions of Ranitidne excluding any harmful ingredient and are equally effective as Zantac.

How Is Zantac Made?

Just like soda pop or Little Debbie cakes (drool), there’s a whole production process involved in creating our beloved heartburn relief tablets.

Here’s what goes down behind the scenes at GSK:
1. First off they start by making something called “ranitidine base” which is basically the main building block they use to make ALL their products containing ranitidine.
2. The ranitidine base is then combined with other ingredients to form tablets in varying strengths (75mg, 150mg, etc.).
3. Next they package the tablets for shipment and send them off to be sold worldwide (cue happy little boxes of Zantac parading out the door).

And there you have it! Just like magic (snaps fingers) your heartburn relief appears in a perfectly sized blue box at your local drugstore.

Side Effects

Now while Zantac may work wonders on our painful pangs of indigestion, it’s not totally free from certain risk factors (woopsidoodles). Ranitidine can cause some side effects including but not limited to headaches, dizziness, constipation or diarrhea, and stomach pain or cramps or more serious problems such as allergic reactions which hampers breathing.

It’s advised by experts that people who develop any unusual symptoms after taking medications containing ranitidine should call their doctors right away

Alternatives?

Now before we stray too far into semi terrifying “what-if’s,” let’s talk alternatives… Because nobody wants a smelly tummy all day!

If you want something natural without tons of synthetic chemicals give ginger root capsules to see if that helps calm things down It will help soothe inflammation that causes acid reflux symptoms this an effective alternative

Peppermint oil capsules are sometimes recommended instead of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) which come with considerable major side-effects, as these can also help calm digestive muscles down along with acting soothing agent

But obviously always be mindful when trying new remedies – no one needs random gas situations happening in public yikes!

Conclusion: Who Makes Zantac?

So there you have it friends! While GlaxoSmithKline was responsible for creating the ultimate lifesaver known as Zantac back in the ‘80s(who still holds the patent), many companies produce the generic version of ranitidine today.

It’s a fast-acting relief for our indigestion woes without causing large-scale discomfort — that is, if taken properly and in safe amounts (obviously). However, due to recent reports of harmful contamination levels found in certain versions of the pills treated with NDMA, it’s important to do some extra homework before popping your next dose.

So now every time you finish off your Friday night curry (yum) or double cheeseburger (drool) with these little blue tablets – at least now there won’t be any mystery around who made them. As for what they actually look like under a microscope (rubs hands together mischievously) well…that’s probably better left alone…

References

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