FAQ
The Lawsuit
In the litigation, centralized before the honorable Judge Claire C. Cecchi in the District of New Jersey, plaintiffs alleged that the regular use of defendants’ PPI medications, including Prevacid, Dexilant, Nexium, Prilosec, and Protonix, can cause kidney injuries such as interstitial nephritis which may develop into chronic kidney disease and eventually end-stage renal disease. Plaintiffs also allege that the defendants failed to adequately research the drug’s effects and, in turn, concealed the risks of taking PPI medications.
Recent Case Settlements
On October 3, 2023, Seeger Weiss announced a landmark $425 million settlement with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals for cases involving Nexium in the Proton-Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation. This significant achievement comes on behalf of thousands of consumers who suffered kidney injuries while using proton-pump inhibitor (“PPI”) medications. The settlement resolves litigation against AstraZeneca for approximately 11,000 plaintiffs with claims in the MDL and various state court jurisdictions.
In 2024, plaintiff counsel secured a settlement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the maker of PPI drugs Prevacid and Dexilant. This is in addition to previous settlements with GlaxoSmithKline, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer. The total compensation for plaintiffs in the litigation has now grown to $590.4 million.
The Risks of Proton Pump Inhibitors
The Journal of the American Medical Association published research findings in February 2016, identifying that the use of PPI medications like Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec can increase the risk of chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease is also referred to as chronic renal failure. For more than 10,000 patients participating in that study, the risk of chronic kidney disease increased by up to 50% as a result of taking PPIs.
Another study presented at the American Society of Nephrology meeting in 2015 shared similar outcomes. It indicated that the longer the patient was taking medication, the higher the risk might be.
Unfortunately, the majority of the most popular heartburn medications in America today are proton pump inhibitors. Given that some studies allege that these drugs are overprescribed, patients may be facing higher risks of serious symptoms than they need to.