AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals is facing a growing number of product liability claims alleging serious injuries from Nexium kidney damage. Once of the most recent claims was filed by a woman from Maryland who alleges the company did not warn her against Nexium kidney damage.

Plaintiff Vera R. alleges the Nexium kidney damage was preventable, stating she would not have taken the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) if she had known. According to the Nexium lawsuit, Vera used the medication from May 2013 to November 2016 and allegedly developed severe Nexium kidney damage as a result.

The Nexium lawsuit states that Vera developed several serious injuries related to Nexium kidney damage including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease.

Vera says she is currently contending with these serious medical conditions and opted to file legal action after discovering that several studies had indicated Nexium kidney damage is a possibility.

Overview of Nexium Kidney Damage

Like millions of other patients, Vera had taken Nexium to help treat various stomach acid problems that were impacting her everyday life. Proton pump inhibitors work by limiting the amount of digestive acid produced in the stomach which helps treat conditions like acid reflux and even stomach ulcers.

With how common these conditions are, proton pump inhibitors are one of the most popular treatment medications in the United States. Over 15 million people have been prescribed proton pump inhibitors, but the number is likely much higher due to the availability of over the counter variants.

However, the recent association with serious kidney damage has left the medical community and patient population wary of these medications. Nexium kidney damage became a prominent concern after a recent study was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, which indicated that proton pump inhibitors could cause serious kidney problems.

According to the results of the study, PPI patients faced a 96 percent greater risk of kidney failure and a 28 percent increased risk of chronic kidney disease, compared to patients who were prescribed histamine H2 receptor blockers.

In addition, another study was published in February 2016 in the Journal of the American Medical Association that also found that PPIs increased the likelihood of kidney disease. This study was performed after previous research had indicated PPIs could increase the chances of acute interstitial nephritis, which is a condition known to evolve into kidney failure.

It is important to note that the FDA had previously ordered AstraZeneca to update Nexium’s warning label in 2014, to include acute interstitial nephritis as a potential side effect. Researchers have also noted that Nexium and Prilosec are overprescribed, and should only be taken only for a short period of time.

Even though Nexium kidney damage is a devastating side effect, AstraZeneca allegedly failed to disclose this information to patients, Vera claims. At all times relevant, Vera had relied on the marketing materials and product information provided by the pharmaceutical company.

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

This Nexium Kidney Damage Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-16300-CCC-MF, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey.