Metformin Lawsuit (NDMA): Settlement, Status, and Who Qualifies

Metformin is the most widely used prescription drug for type 2 diabetes. In late 2019 and 2020, regulators found that some generic versions contained N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a nitrosamine impurity the FDA limits because of cancer concerns. NDMA was already at the center of recalls of blood pressure drugs such as valsartan and the heartburn drug ranitidine.

The FDA first reported in February 2020 that its tests had not found NDMA above acceptable levels in the metformin it sampled. That changed with extended release (ER) products. On May 28, 2020, the FDA announced it had found NDMA above the acceptable intake limit in certain metformin extended release products, and by June 11, 2020, five companies were recalling ER metformin. The first five were Apotex and Amneal (all lots), Teva (labeled as Actavis, 14 lots), Marksans (labeled as Time-Cap Labs), and Lupin. More followed through late 2020, including Bayshore, Sun Pharmaceutical (Riomet ER), and Nostrum.

Consumers then sued. The consolidated case is In re Metformin Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. 2:20-cv-2324, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, before Judge Madeline C. Arleo and Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer. According to the official settlement notice, the lawsuit claims the manufacturers falsely advertised their generic metformin as the same as or equivalent to brand name Glucophage or Glucophage XR, when it was contaminated with NDMA and did not meet FDA standards, so people and businesses paid for drugs they would not have bought.

This is an economic loss class action. The official notice states plainly that the lawsuit does not include personal injury or wrongful death claims. The defendants deny the allegations.

The case has two tracks: the settling defendants, and those still fighting.

Teva, Granules, and Heritage settlements

Teva (including Actavis) agreed to a $3 million settlement, and Granules and Heritage (doing business as Avet Pharmaceuticals) agreed to a $2.55 million settlement. The settlements also resolve claims against CVS Pharmacy. The court granted preliminary approval in May 2026. The opt-out and objection deadline was July 24, 2026, and the claim deadline was August 5, 2026. A final approval hearing was set for August 12, 2026, and the court entered an order on attorneys' fees, costs, and service awards that day.

As of August 4, 2026, the administrator, A.B. Data, reported 3,662 presumptively valid claims (3,428 from consumers and 234 from third-party payors) and only two exclusion requests. Consumer claimants said they paid $1,241,085.13 for metformin drugs in total, and third-party payors claimed $3,529,541.47. Those figures will change as claims are reviewed. For full details see our Teva and Granules metformin settlement page.

Amneal and Walmart

The lawsuit continues against Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Amneal Pharmaceuticals of New York, LLC, and Walmart, Inc. Amneal recalled all lots of its 500 mg and 750 mg ER metformin in 2020. The Fourth Amended Complaint, filed in February 2025, includes named plaintiffs who say they paid for Amneal metformin, including product relabeled under other names. As of September 2026, no settlement with Amneal or Walmart had been announced.

Under the settlement notice, you were in the Teva class if you were a person or entity in the United States or its territories who paid any amount for a metformin-containing drug, for personal or household use, that Teva manufactured, distributed, or sold from July 20, 2015 through June 2, 2020. The Granules and Heritage class uses the same definition and class period for their products. You check whether your drug counts by comparing the NDC number in your prescription records to the list on the settlement website.

"Paid" includes a copay or coinsurance. Third-party payors such as self-funded health plans that reimbursed purchases were also included. Excluded groups include the settling companies, federal entities and certain state and local governments, resellers, direct purchasers, fully insured health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and the judges.

Who likely does not benefit:

• People who took only immediate release metformin from companies other than the defendants. The FDA said its testing did not find NDMA in immediate release metformin.
• People who paid nothing out of pocket and had no insurer claim filed for them.
• Anyone looking for compensation for cancer or illness. That is outside this case.
• People who missed the August 5, 2026 claim deadline, for the Teva and Granules/Heritage money.

Most people who take metformin never had a contaminated product. The FDA said its testing did not show NDMA in immediate release metformin, which is the most commonly prescribed form. The problems were concentrated in extended release (ER or XR) tablets from specific manufacturers and lots.

To check your own history:

1. Look at the label. ER metformin says "extended release," "ER," or "XR" after the name. Plain "metformin HCl" tablets are usually immediate release.
2. Find the manufacturer and NDC. The National Drug Code is a 10 or 11 digit number on the pharmacy label or in your pharmacy's records. The first segment identifies the labeler, such as Amneal, Teva (Actavis), or Granules.
3. Ask your pharmacy for a fill history. Most chains can print every fill for a date range, with the manufacturer, NDC, and what you paid. Request July 2015 through June 2020.
4. Compare against the lists. The FDA keeps a recalled metformin list, and the settlement website posted an NDC list for the Teva and Granules/Heritage products.

The FDA's June 11, 2020 update listed Apotex and Amneal as recalling all lots of their ER metformin, Teva (labeled as Actavis) as recalling 14 lots, and Marksans and Lupin as recalling one lot each. Being on a recall list is not the same as being in the class. The class is defined by who made or sold the drug and when you paid, not only by recalled lots. Keeping these records now is useful whether or not a future settlement with Amneal or Walmart materializes.

No fixed amount per person was promised. After court-approved fees, costs, and administration expenses come out of the $5.55 million fund, the rest is split pro rata, based on how much each claimant paid for covered metformin and on the total of valid claims.

The claim numbers give a rough sense of scale. Valid claims reported as of August 4, 2026 covered about $4.77 million in claimed payments ($1.24 million by consumers and $3.53 million by third-party payors), against a $5.55 million gross fund. Because fees and expenses reduce the fund, and the final claim total may differ, it is not possible to say whether consumers will get back all, most, or part of what they paid. Most individual payments are likely to be modest, tracking copays over a few years.

Payments go out only after final approval and any appeals. If money remains after distribution, it goes to a court-approved nonprofit rather than back to the companies, a practice called cy pres. For tracking, see how to check a settlement's status and what to do if your check has not arrived.

Generic drugs must be the same as their brand name reference drug in active ingredient, strength, and quality. The plaintiffs' theory is that a pill contaminated with an impurity above FDA limits is not the product described on the label, so buyers paid for something they did not get. That supports claims for breach of express and implied warranty, fraud and misrepresentation, and violations of state consumer protection laws.

Because the harm alleged is the price paid, not an illness, the plaintiffs do not have to prove anyone got sick. They do have to show that the contamination made the drug worth less or worthless, and defendants argue that patients received the benefit of blood sugar control. Settlements avoid a ruling on that question.

People who believe NDMA exposure caused cancer would need a separate personal injury claim. In the related valsartan cases, NDMA injury and economic loss claims were combined in federal MDL 2875 in New Jersey, which the JPML still listed as pending in September 2026. No metformin personal injury MDL exists.

The claim deadline for the $5.55 million Teva and Granules/Heritage settlements was August 5, 2026, and late claims are generally not accepted unless the court allows it. If you missed it, you can still contact the administrator, A.B. Data, at 1-866-302-6835 to ask whether any late claims will be considered. Do not pay anyone who offers to file for you; claims were free and could only be filed through the official site, inremetforminsettlement.com.

If you did not opt out, you gave up the right to sue Teva, Granules, and Heritage for these claims. Your rights against Amneal and Walmart are not affected, and a future settlement with them would come with its own notice and deadline.

1. If you filed a claim, keep your confirmation number and watch the official settlement website for final approval and payment news. Update your address with the administrator if you move.
2. If you bought Amneal or Walmart metformin, pull your pharmacy history for 2015 to 2020 and save it. It will matter if a later settlement opens.
3. Keep taking your medicine. The FDA told patients on recalled ER metformin to keep taking it until a doctor or pharmacist provides a replacement, because stopping diabetes treatment suddenly can be dangerous.
4. If you have a cancer diagnosis and long-term use of recalled ER metformin, that is a separate question from this class action. Talk to an attorney about whether an individual claim is viable; these are harder cases with no consolidated litigation.

A free case review takes about two minutes. You can also see all open settlements and read about the related Chantix nitrosamine lawsuit.