Nexium can cause serious kidney problems, according to a recent PPI lawsuit filed by a consumer who developed chronic kidney disease after taking the popular heartburn medication.

Plaintiff Asta C. recently filed a PPI lawsuit against AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, Astrazeneca LP, and Merck & Co. Inc., alleging that she developed chronic kidney disease after taking Nexium from 2012 to 2017.

Nexium is one of many proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs prescribed or purchased over the counter to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and stomach ulcers. These drugs inhibit the production of stomach acid to treat these conditions. PPI drugs have been widely successful both in prescription and over the counter forms.

Although the drugs are successful, studies have linked long-term PPI use to kidney damage and numerous kidney conditions. In 1992, researchers from the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center published the first article linking PPI use with kidney injury and conditions including chronic kidney disease.

“Since 1992, there have been numerous adverse case reports and scientific studies published in medical journals and reported by physicians and scientists, as well as adverse reports from national adverse drug registries, which document an association between use of PPI Products and the occurrence of kidney injuries such as [chronic kidney disease],” the PPI lawsuit argues

Chronic kidney disease is the loss of kidney function over a period of time. When the disease advances, kidneys can no longer effectively filter out waste, leading to a build-up of fluid, waste, and electrolytes in the blood. There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, it can only be managed through dialysis. End-stage kidney disease requires a kidney transplant, or else the disease could prove fatal.

In 2016, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that PPI use was associated with a 20 to 50 percent increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Numerous studies have also confirmed the link between PPI drugs and chronic kidney disease, with a 2017 study finding that “a significant association between PPI use and chronic renal outcomes including incident [chronic kidney disease].”

In her PPI lawsuit, Asta claims that the defendants knew or should have known that their products could cause serious kidney problems but did not warn consumers to protect the billions of dollars in profits they make every year.

“Defendants’ marketing campaigns willfully and intentionally misrepresented the risks of PPI Products and failed to warn about the risks of acute interstitial nephritis, acute kidney failure, chronic kidney disease, and other kidney injuries,” the PPI lawsuit claims.

Asta accuses the defendants of strict product liability, design defect, failure to warn, negligence, breach of warranties, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent concealment, and violation of consumer protection laws. The PPI lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, punitive damages, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

The PPI Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-13298 and is part of the PPI Lawsuit MDL, In re: Proton-Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation (No. II), 2:17-md-02789-CCC-MF, in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.