An Arizona man recently hit AstraZeneca with a PPI meds lawsuit, alleging its drug Nexium has caused serious injuries.

The plaintiff, Harold M., says he began taking Nexium at the direction of his doctor in the early 2000s. He continued filling prescriptions for Nexium, and occasionally Protonix, Harold continued taking Nexium for over a decade, through 2016.

Though he took these drugs at the direction of his doctor and according to the prescription, Harold claims, he has developed serious injuries as a result, including chronic kidney disease. These injuries have not only caused physical pain and suffering but also economic loss and emotional distress, his lawsuit alleges.

Harold filed his PPI meds lawsuit in response. The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 22, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. Harold filed his PPI meds lawsuit on multiple counts, including defective design, failure to warn, breach of express warranty, and others.

Background of Nexium

Nexium (also marketed under its generic name, esomeprazole magnesium) is a proton pump inhibitor medication manufactured by AstraZeneca. Proton pump inhibitor drugs, or PPIs, are a form of heartburn treatment. PPIs like Nexium work by reducing the gastric acid in a patient’s stomach.

PPIs are some of the most widely-used medications in the United States, and Nexium is one of the more popular options. In fact, more than 15 million Americans were prescribed PPI medications in the year 2013 alone.

Despite the popularity of PPI medications like Nexium, they have actually been linked with a number of serious side effects. PPI users like Harold are filing lawsuits, claiming that they were not adequately warned about the risk of some of these complications like kidney disease.

Side Effects of Nexium

Side effects of PPI drugs like Nexium can include chronic kidney disease, according to patient reports and lawsuits. In order to treat the side effects of Nexium, some patients may be taken off of the medication altogether. For others, however, the condition has progressed to the point where effects have become permanent.

Millions of Americans may be affected by these risks. According to one study, somewhere around 15 million patients were prescribed various PPI drugs in 2013 alone. Other PPI drugs are available over-the-counter, such as Nexium, which means that the number of patients using PPIs is much higher than this estimate.

Filing a Nexium Lawsuit Over Side Effects

If you or someone you love has experienced PPI drug side effects like chronic kidney disease after using Nexium or another proton pump inhibitor drug, you may be able to file a lawsuit and receive compensation.

The PPI Meds Lawsuit is Milligan v. AstraZeneca, et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-12002-CCC-MF, in the U.S. District Court for the Newark Division of the District of New Jersey.