A Nexium chronic kidney disease lawsuit has been filed by a man who alleges the prescription antacid destroyed his health.

Plaintiff William B. says he took Nexium from 2009 through 2011. He had previously used prescription Prevacid in the late 1990s.  He was diagnosed with Nexium chronic kidney disease in January 2010.

Both Nexium by AstraZeneca and Prevacid by Takeda Pharmaceuticals belong to a drug class known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The drugs work by reducing the amount of hydrochloric acid pumped into the stomach.

According to the Nexium chronic kidney disease lawsuit, “hundreds of reports of injuries, including kidney injuries, have been submitted to the FDA in association with ingestion of Nexium and other PPIs.”

More than 15 million Americans were taking prescription PPIs in 2013 at a cost of more than $10 billion. Studies indicate that as many as 70 percent of PPIs are used inappropriately for symptoms or lengths of time that have never been tested or FDA-approved.

Researchers also say another 25 percent of long-term PPI patients could stop taking the drugs and never develop any new symptoms.

Since PPIs were introduced to the United States in 1989, researchers have linked ongoing PPI use with a number of adverse health issues including hip fractures, community acquired pneumonia, C-diff infection and acute kidney injury.

Nexium Chronic Kidney Disease Known for Years

Stephen Ruffenach led a research team at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in 1992 that published the first article linking PPI use with kidney injuries in the American Journal of Medicine.

Researchers at the Yale School of Medicine determined that PPIs left most patients “with some level of Chronic Kidney Disease” when they studied cases and published their findings in the International Society of Nephrology’s Kidney International publication.

In 2015, a study determined that elderly patients who were newly prescribed PPIs had a 250 percent increased risk of acute kidney injuries within 120 days of starting the medication.

Findings indicate that the PPIs or their metabolites (substances formed through the process of metabolism) deposit in the spaces between the tubules of the kidneys.

Chronic kidney disease is the gradual loss of kidney function that once it reaches an advanced stage, can lead to dangerous levels of fluid and waste building up inside the body. In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, patients may exhibit few or no symptoms.

Nexium chronic kidney disease might be significantly advanced before symptoms become evident and is associated with an increased risk of death and heart disease. End-stage kidney failure is fatal without dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant.

The Nexium chronic kidney disease lawsuit alleges that the drug makers knew of the risks of kidney injuries associated with PPIs, but continued to market Nexium and Prevacid as if they were safe and effective medications. The complaint goes on to say that even if used as directed, the drugs pose significant risks to consumers.

The Nexium Chronic Kidney Disease Lawsuit is Case No. 2:17-cv-12139-CCC-MF in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.