Sanofi, the pharmaceutical company, has agreed to settle about 4,000 lawsuits in the US related to the discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, which was linked to cancer. The settlement comes after years of legal battles and is aimed at avoiding further costs and distractions from litigation. The company had faced claims regarding the harmful effects of Zantac, similar to the situation with Vioxx in the early 2000s, which led to a $5 billion settlement for liability.