(Bloomberg) -- Sanofi, GSK Plc and Haleon Plc extended their declines and have lost a combined $30 billion in market value since Tuesday’s close amid mounting concerns about litigations around recalled heartburn drug Zantac.
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Sanofi fell about 6% on Thursday, a day after the French drugmaker lost more than 8% in its worst one-day rout since October 2014. GSK slid 4%, while its recent spinoff Haleon slumped 10%, taking its two-day drop to 17%.
GSK declined to comment on stock moves and ongoing lawsuits around Zantac, while Sanofi and Haleon didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Zantac was a once-popular antacid that has drawn a flurry of US personal-injury lawsuits alleging it causes cancer. Sanofi, GSK and Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH -- among many other generic drug makers -- are accused in the lawsuits of failing to properly warn users about the over-the-counter product’s health risks.
Highlighting an upcoming Illinois case on Aug. 22 and some key court trials in early 2023, Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Papadakis warned on Thursday that the issues are likely to act as a short-term headwind for both GSK and Sanofi shares.
Indeed, the damages could possibly reach $10.5 billion to $45 billion, according to analysts at Morgan Stanley, based on similar litigation settlements in the past. “There is considerable uncertainty at this stage surrounding the potential total financial impact of the Zantac litigation,” they wrote.
Zantac was withdrawn from the market in 2019 after the US Food and Drug Administration said it appears to produce unacceptably high levels of a cancer-causing chemical when exposed to heat for as little as five days.
UBS Group AG analyst Laura Sutcliffe warned that some investors are avoiding Sanofi until there is further clarity. Downgrading her rating to neutral from buy, she said the litigation in early 2023 may become an “overhang” for the stock.
Sanofi has previously downplayed the risks of the litigation, with executives saying on an earnings call last month that there’s no reliable evidence that Zantac causes cancer and that plaintiffs won’t be able to prove their claims.
Haleon said it has certain indemnification obligations to GSK and Pfizer, “which may include liabilities related to OTC Zantac,” in a prospectus ahead of listing its shares in London last month. That’s while Credit Suisse analysts flagged Haleon’s involvement in Zantac litigation was limited.
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