GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi escape U.S. federal litigation over Zantac

Dec 6 (Reuters) - Drugmakers GSK Plc, Pfizer Inc , Sanofi SA and Boehringer Ingelheim on Tuesday defeated thousands of lawsuits in U.S. federal court claiming that the heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer, as a judge found the claims were not backed by sound science.

While the companies, which have all marketed the drug at different times, still face tens of thousands of similar lawsuits in state courts, the ruling by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach, Florida, knocks out a significant portion of their potential liability. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis)