The Proton Pump Inhibitor lawsuit defendants, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Procter & Gamble Co., McKesson Corp., Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Pfizer Inc., and Pfizer subsidiary Wyeth, are facing a growing number of lawsuits. The drugs in question include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, and others. The plaintiffs allege that PPIs cause kidney injuries including acute interstitial nephritis, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and end-stage renal disease. Each allegation holds the drug manufacturers responsible for withholding information about the risks associated with long-term use of the acid-reflux medications. The PPI lawsuits have been centralized in the District of New Jersey before Judge Claire C. Cecchi for coordinated pretrial proceedings.
Recently, a PPI lawsuit was filed by a Newark woman alleging that Nexium manufacturers AstraZeneca did not warn her of the potential risks of CKD and AKI associated with the use of Nexium in the product labelling, nor in the direct consumer advertising, which caused her to develop CKD. She further added that if she had been warned about the potential kidney related side-effects, she would not continue her prolonged use of the drug and would have switched to another antacid to relieve her heartburn.
