AstraZeneca LP and Merck & Co. is facing a growing multidistrict litigation (MDL), consisting of product liability claims alleging PPI kidney problems after taking Nexium.

One of the most recent Nexium lawsuits alleging PPI kidney damages was recently filed by a woman from Tennessee alleging the pharmaceutical companies had failed to warn them against the correlation between the PPI and kidney function.

Plaintiff Daphine T. alleges the PPI kidney damage she suffered was permanent, and that she will most likely suffer kidney problems for the rest of her life. The negative correlation between the PPI and kidney function has recently garnered attention from the public, after the FDA released several warnings alleging PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) significantly increased the risk of kidney failure and chronic kidney disease.

Nexium is one of two major PPI heart burn medications sold in the United States, along with Prilosec, which is used by millions of patients on a daily basis. These heart burn medications work by limiting the amount of gastric acid released in the stomach. This helps treat heartburn, indigestion, stomach ulcers, and even gastric reflux.

These heartburn medications are sold both over the counter and have prescription versions available, both of which are commonly prescribed to patients suffering from these conditions.

According to the Nexium lawsuit, Daphine had been prescribed Nexium in June 2003 for typically treatment purposes and had stayed on the medication for over a decade until December 2016. Daphine says she followed the prescription instructions provided and the advice of her physician but had still developed PPI kidney damage.

According to the Nexium lawsuit, Daphine was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, which was allegedly caused by PPI kidney damage.

Overview of PPI Kidney Damage

The correlation between serious kidney damage and these heart burn meds has been documented for the past several years, with the first significant study published in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology.

According to the study, researchers found that patients who were prescribed Prilosec and Nexium had faced a significantly greater risk of developing serious kidney problems compared to other medications.

Researchers found that Nexium or Prilosec patients faced a 96 percent greater risk of kidney failure, along with a 28 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease compared to patients who were prescribed histamine H2 receptor blockers. It should also be noted that the FDA approved a label change of Nexium to include interstitial nephritis, which is a condition that often leads to kidney problems.

Even though the risk of PPI and kidney function damage was well noted in the medical community, Merck and AstraZeneca allegedly failed to warn the public. According to this lawsuti, Merck and AstraZeneca had failed to warn Daphine or her physician against the negative correlation between PPI and kidney function damage.

In addition, Daphine and had physician had been relying on the marketing materials provided by Merck and AstraZeneca, which had allegedly failed to mention the PPI and kidney function damage correlation. Daphine states that she would not have agreed to take Nexium, if she had known that PPI kidney damage was a risk.

Daphine’s Nexium lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2789, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging PPI kidney damage.

This Nexium Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-10192-CCC-MF, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, Newark Division.