Manufacturers of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) used in the treatment of heartburn have denied all allegations of liability, failure to warn, negligence and breach of warranty, among other claims raised in the “Master Complaint”.
Defendants AstraZeneca, Procter and Gamble, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novartis filed answers to the master complaint following a March 16 Case Management Order issued by the presiding judge to coordinate allegations raised in the litigation. The drugs in question include Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, and others.
The main allegation faced by the manufacturers is that the long-term use of PPIs causes kidney injuries including acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease. Other allegations hold the drug manufacturers responsible for withholding information about the risks associated with long-term use of the acid-reflux medications.
PPI Lawsuits have been centralized under MDL No. 2789 created in August 2017 in the District of New Jersey before Judge Claire C. Cecchi for coordinated pretrial proceedings with nearly 500 plus lawsuits pending. Nearly 127 related cases are pending in Delaware Superior Court and around 227 in state courts across the country.
