Published
February 13, 2026
If you bought generic Hetero valsartan in the summer of 2018, this $11.37 million settlement refunds what you paid for the NDMA-contaminated blood pressure pills.
What Is This Settlement About?
If you took a generic blood pressure medication called valsartan at any point between May and July of 2018, there is a chance the pills you were taking were contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical — and a class action settlement has been approved that could get your money back.A federal judge in New Jersey granted preliminary approval of an $11,365,490 class action settlement covering people who purchased generic valsartan made by Hetero Labs during a specific three-month window. The settlement is designed to refund class members for what they spent on the contaminated pills. Claims are open now at SartanMedicationSettlement.com, and the deadline to file is June 2, 2026.
Status
Claims Open
final approval hearing scheduled June 30, 2026
Claim Deadline
June 2, 2026
Settlement Fund
$11,365,490
Hetero Valsartan · economic loss refund · part of $15.26M across all 3 sartan settlements
Proof Required
No
documentation encouraged but not strictly required · purchase period May 1 – July 31, 2018
What Is Valsartan?
Valsartan is one of the most commonly prescribed blood pressure medications in the United States. Tens of millions of Americans take it. It belongs to a class of drugs called ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers), which work by relaxing blood vessels so blood can flow more easily, lowering blood pressure and reducing strain on the heart.You may recognize valsartan by the brand name Diovan, which was manufactured by Novartis for decades. When the patent expired, generic drug companies around the world began manufacturing their own versions of valsartan. This settlement involves generic valsartan made by one of those companies: Hetero Labs, based in Telangana, India, whose finished drug products were sold in the U.S. by Camber Pharmaceuticals.
What Went Wrong?
In the summer of 2018, the FDA made a disturbing discovery. Certain batches of generic valsartan were contaminated with a chemical called NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine). NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen — in plain English, it's a chemical that likely causes cancer in people.To put it in perspective: NDMA was formerly used in rocket fuel production. It is not a substance that is supposed to be present in medications at any level. But the FDA found that NDMA was being created as an unintended byproduct of manufacturing processes that certain generic drug makers used to produce valsartan's active ingredient.
The FDA issued massive recalls starting in July 2018. Hundreds of batches of valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan (all related blood pressure drugs) were pulled from pharmacy shelves across the country. The recalls expanded over the course of a year as more contaminated batches were identified.
The contamination wasn't limited to one company. Multiple manufacturers in China and India were affected, including Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceutical (China), Hetero Labs (India), Mylan, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Aurobindo Pharma, and others. This settlement specifically covers the Hetero Labs contamination.
Was My Blood Pressure Medicine Recalled?
This is probably the first question on your mind, and it's an important one. Not all valsartan was recalled — only generic versions made by specific manufacturers.Here's how to check: look at your prescription bottle or the paperwork that came with your medication. The manufacturer's name should be printed on the label. If it says Camber Pharmaceuticals, your valsartan was almost certainly made with Hetero Labs' active ingredient and is covered by this settlement.
If you don't have the bottle anymore, call your pharmacy and ask them to look up which manufacturer supplied your valsartan prescription. Pharmacies keep these records. You can also check the FDA's recall list for valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan, which lists every affected manufacturer and lot number.
The brand-name version of valsartan (Diovan, made by Novartis) was not affected by the contamination. This recall only involved generic versions.
Can Valsartan Cause Cancer?
Valsartan itself — the active ingredient — is not the problem. The issue is what happened during the manufacturing process at certain generic drug factories.When companies like Hetero Labs manufactured the active ingredient for generic valsartan, they used a production process that unintentionally created NDMA as a byproduct. NDMA is classified as a probable human carcinogen. Long-term exposure to NDMA has been linked to cancers of the liver, stomach, colon, kidney, bladder, esophagus, lungs, prostate, and blood.
Over 1,300 people who took contaminated valsartan and were later diagnosed with cancer have filed personal injury lawsuits. Those cases are separate from this economic loss settlement and are still being litigated.
If you took contaminated valsartan and have been diagnosed with cancer, this settlement is not the right vehicle for your claim. You should speak with a personal injury attorney about your specific situation.
Who Qualifies?
You are a class member if you are an individual or third-party payor (like a health insurance company) in the United States or its territories who paid any amount for retail purchases of valsartan finished drug formulations manufactured using Hetero Labs' Process III valsartan API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) between May 1, 2018 and July 31, 2018.In simpler terms: if you bought generic valsartan pills during that three-month window and the pills were made with ingredients from Hetero Labs (sold under the Camber Pharmaceuticals label, among others), you likely qualify.
The class does not include claims related to losartan or irbesartan (those are being handled in separate settlement tracks), claims for personal injury or cancer, or the Hetero Defendants and their employees, officers, and directors.
How Much Will I Get?
The total settlement fund is $11,365,490. Because this is an economic loss settlement, payouts are designed to reimburse what class members paid for the contaminated medication. Your individual payment will depend on the size of the fund after court-approved attorneys' fees, administration costs, and service awards, the number of claims filed, and how much you spent. Payments are made pro rata, so the more you paid for Hetero valsartan, the larger your share.Do I Need Proof?
Documentation is encouraged but not strictly required to file. If you still have an old bottle of valsartan, a pharmacy receipt, or an insurance explanation of benefits, include it with your claim. If you no longer have records, your pharmacy can print your full prescription history for free, showing the manufacturer of each fill. If the administrator cannot otherwise verify your purchase, you may be asked to supply that documentation, so providing it up front helps prevent delays.How Do I File a Claim?
Submit your claim online at SartanMedicationSettlement.com, or download a paper claim form from that website and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at the address listed in the official notice. The deadline to file a claim is June 2, 2026. Mailed claim forms must be postmarked by that date. If you are filing on the last day, see our news alert, $15.26 million blood pressure drug settlement deadline (June 2, 2026), which covers the Hetero, Aurobindo, and Vivimed claims on one form.Important Dates
• Preliminary Approval: February 2, 2026 (Docket #3241)
• Claim Form Deadline: June 2, 2026
• Opt-Out (Exclusion) Deadline: June 2, 2026
• Objection Deadline: June 2, 2026
• Final Approval Hearing: June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM — Courtroom 3D, Mitchell H. Cohen Building & U.S. Courthouse, Camden, NJ
What About Losartan and Irbesartan?
This is an important distinction. The valsartan recall was not just about valsartan — it eventually expanded to include two related blood pressure drugs, losartan and irbesartan, which were also contaminated with cancer-causing chemicals.This particular settlement only covers valsartan manufactured by Hetero Labs. However, two additional settlements have since been reached for the other contaminated drugs: Aurobindo Irbesartan ($2 million) and Vivimed Losartan ($1.899 million). All three settlements share the same claim deadline of June 2, 2026 and are administered through one website with one claim form.
If you took losartan or irbesartan that was recalled, you may qualify for those settlements as well. See our complete guide to all three blood pressure drug settlements for full details, including eligibility for each. If you specifically took Vivimed losartan, see our in-depth Vivimed Losartan settlement page for impacted NDC numbers and NMBA contamination details, or our Aurobindo Irbesartan settlement page for the IC Route of Synthesis class period.
The Bigger Picture: The Valsartan MDL
This settlement is one piece of what has become one of the largest pharmaceutical litigations in the country. The overall case — In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 19-MD-2875 — has been ongoing since 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, before Judge Renee M. Bumb.Over 1,300 personal injury lawsuits are currently pending from individuals who developed cancers (including liver, stomach, colorectal, kidney, bladder, esophageal, lung, prostate, and blood cancers) that they attribute to NDMA exposure from contaminated valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan. Multiple defendants are involved, including manufacturers in China and India and distributors in the United States.
The Hetero economic loss settlement is the first major class-wide settlement to reach preliminary approval in the MDL. Personal injury claims and economic loss claims against other defendants are still being litigated.
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
If you do nothing, you will still be considered part of the settlement class. You will not receive any payment, and you will release your economic loss claims against the Hetero Defendants related to the sale of their contaminated valsartan. In other words, you give up your right to sue Hetero for a refund on the contaminated pills — and get nothing in return.If you want to preserve your right to sue Hetero separately for economic losses, you must opt out by June 2, 2026. If you want to receive a payment, you must submit a claim form by June 2, 2026.
Attorneys and Legal Representation
The court appointed consumer class counsel Ruben Honik (Honik Law, Philadelphia), Conlee S. Whiteley (Kanner & Whiteley, LLP, New Orleans), and John R. Davis (Slack Davis Sanger LLP, Austin). Third-party payor class counsel are Jorge A. Mestre (Rivero Mestre LLP, Miami) and Gregory P. Hansel (Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios, Chartered, LLP, Portland, ME). The Settlement Administrator is EAG Gulf Coast, LLC.Free settlement alerts
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Claim Form Website: SartanMedicationSettlement.com
Submit Claim
Official Settlement Notice
Sources
• Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Approval of Hetero Valsartan Economic Loss Class Action Settlement, Docket No. 3241, filed February 2, 2026, In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 19-MD-2875 (D.N.J.)• Official Settlement Website — SartanMedicationSettlement.com
• FDA: Search List of Recalled ARBs Including Valsartan, Losartan and Irbesartan
• OpenClassActions — Vivimed Losartan Settlement ($1.899M)
• OpenClassActions — Aurobindo Irbesartan Settlement ($2M)
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
Please submit only truthful and accurate claims. Submitting false information can result in denial of benefits and potential penalties. If you are unsure whether you qualify, review the official notice or contact Class Counsel. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer news site and is not the settlement administrator or a law firm.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Settlement Amount
$11,365,490
Case Title
In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation
Case Number
MDL No. 19-MD-2875 (1:19-md-02875-RBK-SAK)
Court
U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Final Approval Hearing
June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Courtroom 3D, Camden, NJ · Judge Renee M. Bumb
Administrator
EAG Gulf Coast, LLC
Official Website
Sartan Medication Settlement.com
