What is the valsartan contaminated blood pressure drug settlement?

A class action settlement for consumers and third-party payors (like insurance companies) who paid for generic valsartan blood pressure medication manufactured using Hetero Labs' Process III valsartan API between May 1, 2018 and July 31, 2018. The drugs were later found to be contaminated with NDMA, a cancer-causing chemical. This settlement covers economic losses only — meaning refunds for what you paid for the contaminated pills. It is part of the larger In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 19-MD-2875, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Who qualifies for the valsartan settlement?

All individuals and third-party payors in the United States and its territories who paid any amount of money for retail purchases of valsartan finished drug formulations manufactured using Hetero Process III Valsartan API between May 1, 2018 and July 31, 2018. In plain language: if you bought generic valsartan pills during that three-month window and the pills were made with ingredients from Hetero Labs, you likely qualify.

What is valsartan and what was wrong with it?

Valsartan is a widely prescribed generic blood pressure medication taken by millions of Americans. It belongs to a class of drugs called ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) and is the generic version of the brand-name drug Diovan. Starting in 2018, the FDA discovered that generic valsartan manufactured by several companies — including Hetero Labs in India — was contaminated with NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine), a chemical classified as a probable human carcinogen. NDMA was a byproduct of the manufacturing process used to produce the drug's active ingredient.

What is NDMA and why is it dangerous?

NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) is a chemical that belongs to a group called nitrosamines. It is classified as a probable human carcinogen, meaning it is likely to cause cancer in humans. NDMA was formerly used in the production of rocket fuel. It is not supposed to be present in medications at any significant level. The FDA found that certain generic valsartan pills contained NDMA as an unintended byproduct of cheap manufacturing processes used by generic drug makers, including Hetero Labs in India.

When is the deadline to file a valsartan settlement claim?

The deadline to submit a claim form is June 2, 2026. Claim forms must be postmarked by that date. The settlement website and claim forms are expected to be available by April 2, 2026.

When will the valsartan settlement claim form be available?

The court has ordered that the settlement notice and claim forms be disseminated to class members by April 2, 2026. A dedicated settlement website will be set up before that date with the notice, claim form, settlement agreement, and other relevant materials. We will update this page with a direct link to the claim form as soon as it becomes available.

How much will I get from the valsartan settlement?

The exact settlement amount is contained in a sealed settlement agreement and has not been publicly disclosed. This is an economic loss settlement, meaning it is designed to reimburse class members for what they paid for the contaminated medication. Your payment will depend on the total settlement fund, the number of claims filed, and administrative costs.

Does this valsartan settlement cover cancer claims or medical injuries?

No. This settlement covers economic losses only — essentially a refund for the money you spent on contaminated valsartan pills. It does not cover claims for personal injury, cancer, medical monitoring, or any health-related damages. Those types of claims are being handled separately in the broader MDL litigation, where over 1,300 personal injury cases are still pending.

Does this settlement cover losartan or irbesartan?

No. This particular settlement only covers valsartan manufactured by Hetero Labs using their Process III API. Claims related to contaminated losartan and irbesartan are being handled in separate settlement tracks within the same MDL. The Hetero losartan settlement was previously at an impasse in negotiations but may still be resolved separately.

How do I know if my valsartan was made by Hetero Labs?

Hetero Labs manufactured the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for valsartan that was then sold under various brand names, including by Camber Pharmaceuticals. If you purchased generic valsartan between May and July 2018, check your prescription bottle or pharmacy records. You can also check the FDA's list of recalled valsartan products, which identifies which manufacturers and lot numbers were affected. The settlement website (expected by April 2, 2026) should also provide tools to help you determine if your medication qualifies.

What is the opt-out deadline for the valsartan settlement?

The deadline to opt out (request exclusion) from the settlement is June 2, 2026. If you opt out, you will not receive any payment from this settlement, but you preserve your right to pursue your own lawsuit against the Hetero defendants for economic losses.

When is the valsartan settlement final approval hearing?

The final approval hearing is scheduled for June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM at the Mitchell H. Cohen Building and U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 3D, 4th and Cooper Streets, Camden, New Jersey 08101, before Judge Renee M. Bumb.

Who are the defendants in the valsartan settlement?

The defendants are Hetero Drugs, Ltd., Hetero Labs Ltd., Hetero USA, Inc., and Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc., along with their affiliated entities. Hetero Labs is based in Telangana, India and manufactured the contaminated valsartan API. Camber Pharmaceuticals sold the finished drug products in the United States.

What blood pressure pills were recalled for cancer?

Three types of generic blood pressure medications were recalled: valsartan, losartan, and irbesartan. All three belong to a class of drugs called ARBs. The recalls began in July 2018 after the FDA found that generic versions made by manufacturers in China and India were contaminated with NDMA and NDEA — chemicals classified as probable human carcinogens. The brand-name versions (Diovan, Cozaar, Avapro) made by the original manufacturers were not affected.

Recalled Blood Pressure Pill Sartan Class Action Settlement

By Steve Levine

Valsartan Contaminated Blood Pressure Drug Class Action Settlement

Published: February 13, 2026

Claim Form Deadline: June 2, 2026

Claim Forms Available: By April 2, 2026

Settlement Type: Economic Loss (refund for what you paid for the contaminated medication)

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 just been approved that could get your money back.

A federal judge in New Jersey has granted preliminary approval of a 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. Claim forms will be available by April 2, 2026, and the deadline to file is June 2, 2026.

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 cheap 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.

I Took Valsartan Years Ago — Can I Still Get Money?

It depends on exactly when you took it and which manufacturer made it. This settlement has a narrow window: it only covers generic valsartan manufactured by Hetero Labs using their "Process III" formula, purchased between May 1, 2018 and July 31, 2018. If you bought the medication during that three-month period, you can file a claim.

If you took valsartan from a different manufacturer or outside that window, this specific settlement doesn't cover you. However, the broader litigation involves multiple manufacturers (including Zhejiang Huahai from China, Mylan, Torrent, and Aurobindo), and additional settlements may come as those cases progress. We'll cover those on OpenClassActions as they develop.

What This Settlement Covers

This is an economic loss settlement. That means it's about getting your money back for the contaminated pills you purchased — not about health claims, cancer claims, or medical monitoring.

Think of it this way: you paid for blood pressure medication that was supposed to be safe. Instead, you got pills contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical. This settlement is designed to reimburse you for what you spent on those pills.

If you or a family member developed cancer that you believe was caused by contaminated valsartan, that is a separate legal matter. Over 1,300 personal injury lawsuits are currently pending in the same MDL (multidistrict litigation) and are being handled on a different track. This settlement does not affect those claims.

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 Hetero Defendants and their employees, officers, and directors.

How Do I Know If My Pills Were Made by Hetero?

This is one of the most common questions people have, and the answer takes a few steps:

• Check your prescription bottle. The manufacturer's name should be listed on the label. If it says Camber Pharmaceuticals, your valsartan was likely made with Hetero Labs' active ingredient.
• Check your pharmacy records. Your pharmacist can tell you which manufacturer supplied your specific prescription.
• Check the FDA's recall list. The FDA maintains a searchable list of recalled valsartan products that identifies specific manufacturers and lot numbers.
• Check the settlement website. When the settlement website launches (by April 2, 2026), it should provide tools to help you determine if your medication qualifies.

How Much Will I Get?

The exact settlement amount is contained in a sealed settlement agreement and has not been publicly disclosed. 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 total settlement fund, the number of claims filed, and court-approved costs and fees.

How Do I File a Claim?

The claim form is not available yet. The court has ordered that the settlement notice, claim form, and a dedicated settlement website be set up and disseminated to class members by April 2, 2026.

Once the claim form is available, you can submit it online through the settlement website or mail a completed form to the Settlement Administrator. We will update this page with a direct link to the claim form as soon as it goes live.

The deadline to file a claim is June 2, 2026. Mailed claim forms must be postmarked by that date.

Important Dates

• Preliminary Approval: February 2, 2026 (Docket #3241)
• Notice and Claim Forms Available: By April 2, 2026
• 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.

However, this particular settlement only covers valsartan manufactured by Hetero Labs. If you took contaminated losartan or irbesartan, your claims are being handled in separate settlement tracks within the same overall litigation. The losartan settlement with Hetero has been the subject of separate negotiations (which were previously at an impasse but may still be resolved). Aurobindo Pharma's irbesartan claims are also on a separate track.

If you took losartan or irbesartan that was recalled, your claims are not covered by this settlement, but they have not been abandoned. The broader MDL litigation continues.

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 has appointed the following as Class Counsel:

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: 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.

How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?

Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:

Case Information

This settlement is part of In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 19-MD-2875 (Docket #3241), in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, before Judge Renee M. Bumb.

Defendants: Hetero Drugs, Ltd., Hetero Labs Ltd., Hetero USA, Inc., and Camber Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Class Representatives: MSP Recovery Claims, Series LLC, Maine Automobile Dealers Insurance Trust (TPP Plaintiffs), and Leland Gildner, Veronica Longwell, Peter O'Brien, Mark Hays, and James Childs (Consumer Plaintiffs).

Court Order

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.)
• FDA: Search List of Recalled ARBs Including Valsartan, Losartan and Irbesartan

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.

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Class Action Summary
Status	Preliminarily Approved — Claim Forms Coming April 2026
Claim Deadline	June 2, 2026
Claim Forms Available	By April 2, 2026
Settlement Type	Economic Loss (refund for contaminated medication purchases)
Category	Pharmaceutical / Contaminated Medication / Blood Pressure Drug
Drug	Generic Valsartan (Hetero Process III API)
Contaminant	NDMA (N-nitrosodimethylamine) — probable human carcinogen
Purchase Period	May 1, 2018 – July 31, 2018
Defendants	Hetero Drugs Ltd., Hetero Labs Ltd., Hetero USA Inc., Camber Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Case	In Re: Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 19-MD-2875
Court	U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
Judge	Renee M. Bumb
Opt-Out Deadline	June 2, 2026
Final Approval Hearing	June 30, 2026 at 10:00 AM — Camden, NJ