To begin with, the Plaintiffs of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) presented a motion, calling for centralization before U.S. Judge David R. Herndon of the Southern District of Illinois. This is to be followed by a July 27 hearing before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPMDL). This time the Plaintiffs are looking forward to a positive ruling as JPMDL had denied centralization in January earlier this year. However, significant developments led to the scheduling of a second hearing. The defendants were expected to submit their responses by June end. More than 160 cases have already been filed in 28 federal district courts.
The medications in question are Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec, and Dexilant. The main allegation faced by the manufacturers: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Procter & Gamble Co., McKesson Corp., Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Pfizer Inc., and Pfizer subsidiary Wyeth is that their products caused kidney injuries including acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. The details are docketed in the case Re: Proton-Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation |LS|No. II|RS|, MDL Docket No. 2789, JPMDL.
