A growing number of heartburn drug lawsuits are being filed over proton pump inhibitors like Nexium and Prilosec, but the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation denied a centralization request.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) rejected a request for consolidation of claims of kidney problems filed over Nexium and Prilosec protein pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs.

What Are PPI Drugs?

PPI drugs are a prominent class of medications used to treat heartburn and acid reflux. This class includes the medications Nexium and Prilosec, which are some of the best selling drugs currently available.

Despite their undeniable popularity, makers of PPI drugs like Nexium and Prilosec have been accused of withholding essential safety information from consumers and the medical community about the risk of serious complications like chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, and more.

Since these cases share a significant number of similarities, a group of plaintiffs filing lawsuits over PPI drug side effects filed a motion with the U.S. JPML last year. The motion sought to have the cases centralized before a single judge in what is known as multidistrict litigation, or MDL.

Consolidating these lawsuits in an MDL would allow any discovery to be coordinated, conflicting rulings to be avoided and serve to expedite the process by conserving resources.

The motion for consolidation was denied for a couple of reasons. First, there are too few cases nationwide to consolidate, JPML stated. Currently, there are only around four dozen heartburn drug lawsuits pending, making an MDL unlikely.

Proton pump inhibitor lawyers do expect, however, that with the widespread use of these medications, heartburn drug lawsuits will become increasingly common in the coming months and years. Indeed, lawyers expect that soon, several thousand heartburn drug lawsuits will be filed over these complications.

The second problem is that too many competing drug makers are involved in the litigation, which would complicate proceedings, the order stated.

“Although all the subject drugs are PPIs, they are not identical,” wrote the Chair of the JPML, Judge Sarah S. Vance. The judge indicated that there are too many variables that differentiate these cases. “Some are available by prescription only, whereas others are sold over-the-counter. Each has a unique development, testing, and marketing history, and each was approved by the FDA at different times.”

The JPML also noted that it is generally wary of consolidating litigation involving several competing defendants (rather than associated defendants).

Heartburn Drug Lawsuits

PPI drugs like Prilosec and Nexium have been linked in a growing number of studies and lawsuits with a serious risk of kidney problems and other major side effects.

While filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering of those who have experienced side effects from PPI drugs, it can help to compensate for the financial expenses generally incurred through medical bills.

If you or someone you love has taken Prilosec, Nexium, or a similar PPI drug and have since suffered from kidney failure or other serious side effects, you may be able to have your case join these heartburn drug lawsuits.