Yet another plaintiff has joined Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) No. 2789—Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) Products Liability Litigation—by filing a lawsuit alleging Nexium chronic kidney disease.

The complaint was filed on Nov. 9, 2018 in U.S. Court for the District of New Jersey by Pat P. The plaintiff has named AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, AstraZeneca LP, and Merck Sharpe & Dohme Corp. as defendants in his Nexium chronic kidney disease case.

According to his report in the short-form complaint, Pat—a citizen and resident of Hebron, Ohio—developed Nexium chronic kidney disease after taking the over-the-counter PPI nearly 20 years. Pat took Nexium from 1998 to 2017 and claims personal injury as well as economic losses related to this remedy.

All complaints against the makers of this and other related proton pump inhibitors have been consolidated in the District of New Jersey in the federal court system for judicial efficiency. Pat brings forward several counts against the defendants from the original long-form complaint including but not limited to:

• Strict Product Liability (SPL)
• SPL-Design Defect
• SPL-Failure to Warn
• Negligence and Negligence Per Se
• Breach of Express and Implied Warranty
• Misrepresentation-Negligent, Fraud and Fraudulent
• Fraudulent Concealment
• Violation of State Consumer Protection Laws in Ohio, Delaware, and New Jersey

Pat is asking for damages as well as attorney and court fees associated with the Nexium chronic kidney disease lawsuit.

The Relationship Between PPI’s and Kidney Disease

Nexium chronic kidney disease and other renal problems related to long-standing PPI use have allegedly been known for nearly 30 years. In the early 1990s, the first studies were noting a relationship between acute interstitial nephritis (AIN)—an accumulation of metabolic waste products and even PPI substances in the spaces between the tubules of the kidneys.

Often, AIN can be somewhat hidden and remain untreated for far too long. The renal system is very vital for our health in that it maintains the proper balance of fluid and electrolytes as well as removes toxicities from the body. The lack of AIN diagnosis and treatment can bring on an acute inflammatory condition and kidney failure.

Once the condition is determined by a physician, Nexium chronic kidney disease may be the next stage along the renal issue continuum. If medical intervention is not successful, the patient will need dialysis treatments to function and require the identification of a matched kidney donor for transplant. This is known as End-Stage Renal Disease.

The connection between PPI use over the long haul and renal function problems isn’t common knowledge. In fact, twenty years after the first case studies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first required prescription PPIs to warn of AIN.

Patients have the option of using alternatives to PPIs, such as H2 blockers—like Zantac and Pepcid.

The AstraZeneca Lawsuit is Case No.  2:18-cv-16028-CCC-MF in U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.