Metformin Lawsuit: $5.55 Million NDMA Settlement Approved, Claim Window Closed
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The metformin lawsuit in the news is In re Metformin Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, a federal class action in New Jersey over generic metformin allegedly contaminated with NDMA. Teva, Granules and Heritage settled for a combined $5.55 million. The claim deadline was August 5, 2026, and the court granted final approval on August 12, 2026. The case continues against Amneal and Walmart. It covers money paid for the drug, not illness.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Metformin Class Action Says
The metformin class action began in 2020. On May 28, 2020 the FDA asked drugmakers to recall some extended-release metformin. The lawsuit alleges that generic manufacturers marketed their metformin as the same as, or equivalent to, the brand drugs Glucophage and Glucophage XR, when the pills were contaminated with N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, and did not meet FDA standards.
The theory is economic: people and health plans allegedly paid for drugs they would not have bought. The lawsuit does not include personal injury or wrongful death claims. The settling companies deny wrongdoing.
The regulatory background: on May 28, 2020 the FDA asked five companies — Actavis, Amneal, Apotex, Lupin and Marksans — to recall extended-release metformin. The FDA found NDMA above the acceptable limit only in some extended-release metformin, not in any tested immediate-release metformin.
Case Details
The consolidated case is In re Metformin Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. 2:20-cv-02324-MCA-MAH, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, before Judge Madeline C. Arleo, with Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer. Named plaintiffs include Joseph Brzozowski and the County of Monmouth.
Remaining defendants are Amneal and Walmart. The settlements resolved the claims against Teva (with Actavis), Granules, Heritage (doing business as Avet) and CVS Pharmacy. On January 30, 2026 the court granted in part and denied in part a motion to dismiss the Fourth Amended Complaint; per Amneal's SEC filing, discovery is ongoing.
The official settlement site is inremetforminsettlement.com, run by the administrator A.B. Data.
Status: Settlement Approved, New Claims Closed
By August 4, 2026 the administrator had received 3,662 presumptively valid claims — 3,428 from consumers and 234 from third-party payers — and two exclusion requests.
Payments go out only after final approval and any appeals are resolved. No payment date has been published. The rest of the case, against Amneal and Walmart, has no settlement.
Who Was in the Settlement Class
The class action lawsuit metformin buyers could claim from covered only three manufacturers. You were in the class if you paid any amount for a metformin-containing drug for personal or household use that was made, distributed or sold by Teva, Granules or Heritage between July 20, 2015 and June 2, 2020. Health plans and other third-party payers that reimbursed the drug were included too.
Excluded: resellers, direct purchasers from the settling companies, pharmacy benefit managers, fully insured health plans and government entities.
If you filed a claim by August 5, 2026, you have nothing more to do; keep your confirmation. If you did not file, you cannot join now, and unless you opted out you are bound by the settlement.
How Much the Metformin Settlement Pays
The rest is split pro rata: your share depends on how much metformin you bought, what you paid and how many valid claims came in. The administrator says the per-person amount is unknown. Any money left after distribution goes to a court-approved non-profit, not back to the companies.
There is no settlement, fund or claim form for the claims against Amneal or Walmart, and none for cancer or injury claims.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 24,037 other fraud casesclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2025, 27.4% of them filed as class actions:
- 17.3% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 22.5% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 17.3% and 39.8%.
- 10.4% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 111 reached a trial (0.9%), after a median of 30 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 7 months.
- Only 735 of them (3.1%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $663,000.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal other fraud cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Metformin Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
May 28, 2020 — FDA Asks for Recalls
The FDA asks five companies to recall extended-release metformin over NDMA. Consumer class actions filed in 2020 are consolidated in New Jersey as No. 2:20-cv-02324.
- 2
January 30, 2026 — Case Survives in Part
The court grants in part and denies in part the motion to dismiss the Fourth Amended Complaint. Discovery continues against the non-settling defendants.
- 3
May 5, 2026 — Preliminary Approval
The court preliminarily approves the $3 million Teva settlement and the $2.55 million Granules and Heritage settlement. Notice goes out on May 15, 2026.
- 4
August 5, 2026 — Claim Deadline
The extended deadline to file a claim passes. Opt-outs and objections had been due July 24, 2026.
- 5
August 12, 2026 — Final Approval
Judge Arleo enters the order granting final approval of the settlements and a final judgment.
- 6
As of October 2026 — Payments Pending
No payment date has been published. The case against Amneal and Walmart continues without a settlement.
Three Things to Watch For
A closed claim window and a drug millions take every day make easy bait:
“Late metformin claim” offers
The claim deadline was August 5, 2026. Anyone offering to file a new claim now, for a fee or not, cannot. Only the administrator, A.B. Data, handles claims, at 1-866-302-6835.
Payment-release fees
Settlement payments come out of the fund. A message asking for a processing fee, gift card or bank login to “release” your metformin payment is not from the administrator.
“Metformin cancer settlement” ads
This settlement pays only for money spent on the drug. No court has approved any metformin cancer or injury settlement. Ads promising a cancer payout are recruiting, not paying.
Metformin Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
So is there a class action lawsuit against metformin right now?
Yes. In re Metformin Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation, No. 2:20-cv-02324 in federal court in New Jersey, is a class action over generic metformin allegedly contaminated with NDMA. Strictly speaking it is a lawsuit against metformin makers and sellers, not the drug itself. Three makers settled; claims against Amneal and Walmart continue.
Can I still file a metformin settlement claim?
No. The deadline was August 5, 2026. Only claims filed by then will be paid.
How much will I get?
Unknown. The fund is $5.55 million before fees and costs, split pro rata by how much you paid for qualifying metformin. 3,662 presumptively valid claims had been filed by August 4, 2026.
When will payments go out?
Final approval came on August 12, 2026. Payments follow once any appeals are resolved. No payment date has been published; check the official settlement site.
Does the metformin class action cover cancer?
No. The class action is about money paid for the drug and excludes personal injury and wrongful death claims. At least one individual suit naming metformin makers, filed in Alabama on March 29, 2021, was moved into the valsartan NDMA litigation on May 5, 2021.
Which metformin was recalled?
Only some extended-release (ER) metformin. In May 2020 the FDA asked Actavis, Amneal, Apotex, Lupin and Marksans to recall ER lots; Amneal recalled all lots of its 500 mg and 750 mg ER tablets. The FDA found no NDMA problem in tested immediate-release metformin.
Should I stop taking metformin?
Not on your own. The FDA warns it could be dangerous for people with type 2 diabetes to stop metformin without talking to their doctor or pharmacist first.
Who counts as a third-party payer?
A health plan or similar entity that paid or reimbursed some or all of the purchase price. Fully insured plans and pharmacy benefit managers were excluded. 234 third-party payer claims had been filed by August 4, 2026.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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