Nexium Lawsuits Update 2024: Truth Behind the Defective Drug

Do you trust your doctor’s prescription without question?

If so, you should reconsider.

It’s a known fact that many drugs can have serious side effects, which are sometimes more severe than the condition they are intended to treat.

But what if I tell you that often doctors themselves are not even fully informed of the risks associated with the drugs they prescribe?

Let’s examine one infamous instance in more detail: the well-known medication Nexium.

The manufacturers of Nexium have been the target of numerous lawsuits in recent years. In these Nexium lawsuits, it is alleged that the drug manufacturers failed to adequately warn consumers and physicians about the potential risks associated with Nexium.

In this blog, let me explain the history of Nexium, the potential side effects, and the ongoing Nexium lawsuits against its manufacturers.

Let me also give you a suggestion on what to do and the records you required to take action if you believe Nexium has caused you harm.

Before that, keep in mind that you can also file a medical malpractice lawsuit with the required medical records if your doctor prescribed the medication even after knowing the side effects.

Nexium

Nexium is a prescription drug used to treat disorders linked to stomach acid, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcers, and other similar illnesses.

It is part of a class of medications known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which reduce the amount of acid generated in the stomach. It is frequently referred to as the purple pill around the world.

How Nexium works?

In order to stop the production of stomach acid, Nexium blocks the proton pumps in the stomach lining. This lessens the quantity of stomach acid that is generated, which aids in easing symptoms, including heartburn, acid reflux, and stomach discomfort.

History of Nexium

AstraZeneca, a British pharmaceutical firm, developed a new PPI medicine in the late 1980s, which is when Nexium’s development began. Their main objective was to develop a medication that would be more efficient than PPIs already on the market. Some of the other PPI medications are Prilosec, Prevacid, AcipHex, Protonix, and Dexilant.

AstraZeneca was given permission by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to commercialize Nexium in 2000 for the management of GERD. The drug had an increase in sales right after, reaching close to $5 billion in 2005.

Nexium was successful, but not without controversy. AstraZeneca was sued over its marketing strategies, with some claiming the corporation misled customers and medical professionals regarding the efficiency and risk of Nexium.

Notwithstanding these issues, Nexium has continued to be a well-liked and often prescribed medication for the treatment of disorders associated with acidity. Around 15 million prescriptions for Nexium were made in the U.S. in 2012, making it the second-most prescribed medication.

Are Nexium and Prilosec the same?

The active component of Prilosec, omeprazole, is changed in Nexium. Scientists at AstraZeneca changed the chemical composition of omeprazole to produce esomeprazole, the active component of Nexium, which the company’s manufacturers believed would be more efficient in lowering stomach acid and treating problems associated with acidity.

What are the side effects associated with Nexium?

Though Nexium helps people overcome their sufferings, it also carries various side effects. Those which follow are some of the most frequent side effects linked to Nexium:

• Diarrhea, Nausea, and Flatulence
• Constipation
• Dry mouth or an unusual taste in the mouth
• Headache
• Decreased appetite
• Abdominal pain

Apart from these side effects, there are some other severe side effects, which are as follows:

Kidney damage: According to studies, long-term Nexium usage may raise the risk of kidney damage and chronic renal failure.

Bone fractures: An increased incidence of bone fractures, notably in the hip, wrist, and spine, has been associated with long-term Nexium usage. (PPIs prevent the body from absorbing calcium, which might damage bones.)

Cardiovascular events: According to numerous studies, long-term Nexium use may increase the risk of cardiovascular events like a heart attack or stroke.

As a result of these side effects, some patients have filed Nexium lawsuits against the manufacturer, alleging that they were not adequately warned about the risks associated with the drug.

FDA warnings on Nexium

November 2021 – In a letter to AstraZeneca in November 2021, the FDA recommended that labeling information include risks of hypocalcemia (calcium deficiency) and hypokalemia (low potassium) in patients treated with PPIs for at least three months, as well as severe adverse skin reactions and drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (that can impact organs).

October 2021 – The FDA issued a warning in October 2021 in response to reports of erectile dysfunction among users of PPIs, particularly Nexium and generic esomeprazole. It made no regulatory changes.

November 2020 – The FDA issued a warning concerning acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (a form of kidney injury) developing in PPI consumers in November 2020.

October 2020 – As of October 2020, Nexium’s medicine label no longer recommends taking it concurrently with medications containing rilpivirine, an HIV antiviral medication.

Nexium lawsuit latest news

Currently, Nexium lawsuits are mostly brought in response to Nexium kidney injuries, while the other Nexium side effects have received less attention. Medical records of those victims plays an important role in their lawsuit.

Prior to the current Nexium kidney injury litigation, consumers also brought Nexium bone damage cases against AstraZeneca.

Nexium lawsuits over bone Injuries

The first lawsuit against Nexium was filed in 2011. It claimed that the medication became the reason for a woman’s bone fractures.

In order to combine complaints of Nexium bone injuries brought by more than 1,000 people, the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation formed a PPI cases MDL in the Central District of California in December 2012.

However, in October 2014, U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer issued a decision in favor of the defendants AstraZeneca and McKesson Corporations and against all plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs filed an appeal, yet the MDL-2404 IN RE: Nexium products liability litigation was officially closed on January 4, 2017, according to the U.S. Judicial Panel on the MDL website.

Nexium lawsuits over Kidney damages

After 2016, an increasing number of PPI kidney injury lawsuits have been brought against AstraZeneca and other PPI manufacturers. To date, over 15,000 people have brought PPI kidney injury claims against the makers of Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, and Dexilant.

The PPI lawsuits claim that AstraZeneca and other manufacturers were aware of, or should have been aware of, the link between PPI usage and a greatly elevated risk of chronic kidney disease and acute renal injury. Despite significant evidence that PPIs such as Nexium and Prilosec caused acute kidney injuries, the lawsuits accuse PPI manufacturers of continuing to advertise and sell their products without instructing consumers or healthcare professionals of the major risks of kidney illness or damage.

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) for Nexium lawsuits over kidney damages

A multidistrict litigation (MDL) was established in the District Court of New Jersey for the Nexium lawsuits due to the likelihood that hundreds or perhaps thousands of comparable victims across the country may be affected by Nexium’s negative consequences and its connection to kidney issues.

For pretrial proceedings, such as petitions for summary judgment and discovery, this MDL consolidates all personal injury claims for kidney disease or renal failure against AstraZeneca into the district court in New Jersey.

Nexium lawsuit 2024 update

March 22, 2024 update: As of March 2024 there are 12,820 lawsuits were pending. The number of  cases filed in overall is 18,668.

Nexium lawsuit 2023 update

October 3, 2023 update: AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $425 million to resolve about 11,000 claims filed in the United States alleging that its heartburn medications Nexium and Prilosec caused chronic kidney disease. Last year, Nexium generated around $1.3 billion in sales for AstraZeneca.

July 5,2023 update: The second bellwether trial has scheduled to go before the jury on July 17, 2023. The trial will involve a lawsuit filed in 2017 by David P. Foster who alleged that he was suffered with kidney disease due to the consequence of Nexium.

March 6, 2023 Update:  The Nexium PPI class action MDL was scheduled to begin its first bellwether trial in March 2023, but the MDL just issued an order delaying that trial date to June 5, 2023.

In July, there will be a second bellwether trial, and a third test trial is slated for September. The bellwether trials for Nexium have been postponed twice already without justification.

Nexium lawsuit 2022 update

January 19, 2022 Update: The MDL class action case now has 13,314 PPI lawsuits. This includes legal actions involving not just Nexium but also Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid, and Dexilant.

October 24, 2022 Update: On November 14, 2022, the first bellwether trial in the Nexium and Prilosec MDL was scheduled to start in the case of James Rieder, who alleges that his 5-year use of Nexium caused the development of chronic kidney failure.

The trial date has been postponed till March 2023 by the decision of the MDL Judge. The order contains no mention of the reason for the postponement, although it is generally accepted that the trial has been postponed because the parties are close to reaching a comprehensive settlement and require more time to do it.

What will be the average Nexium lawsuit settlement amount?

Lawyers predict that, depending on the degree of kidney problems, the typical Nexium payout might vary from $20,000 for modest ailments to $150,000 for more severe injuries. There is no figure of data available for an exact settlement average because neither a bellwether trial nor a settlement has occurred yet.

Nexium lawsuit settlement update

Finally, there is an update for the victims who filed a lawsuit over the nexium side effects. The wait is over and AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $425 million for the victims who filed a lawsuit, suffering by the chronic kidney diseases after consuming their heartburn medication Nexium.  We should wait for the further updates regarding the settlement process. Hope the best days are coming for the plaintiffs who are struggling financially and physically after consuming nexium and prilosec.

Nexium lawsuit settlement amounts

Although there haven’t been any kidney damage settlements or jury judgments so far, the pharmaceutical company has already spent millions of dollars to resolve several other class action claims.

In addition to alleging that Nexium is faulty, these claims also assert that the manufacturer used dishonest and misleading business techniques to increase Nexium sales.

$20 Million Settlement: In order to resolve a class action lawsuit in which the company was charged with falsely selling Nexium, AstraZeneca agreed to pay $20 million in 2013.

$24 Million Settlement: A Nexium class action lawsuit was resolved for $24 million in 2015. According to the complaint, AstraZeneca colluded with another pharmaceutical firm to postpone the release of the drug’s generic equivalent in order to boost sales of Nexium.

$7.9 Million Settlement: AstraZeneca consented to pay $7.9 million to resolve a Nexium case brought by the government in 2015. In an offense against the False Claims Act, the company was alleged to have given payments to pharmacy benefit managers in order to boost sales.

Who is eligible to file a Nexium lawsuit?

A Nexium lawsuit may be available to anybody who took Nexium, whether on a prescription or over-the-counter, and later had kidney damage. If you took Nexium for a year or longer before suffering kidney issues, you might have an increased opportunity for compensation.

Claimants must provide evidence of hospitalization, medical records demonstrating chronic kidney damage, and proof of Nexium usage.

For legal claims, time is a factor to consider. You might not be able to bring a case after the statute of limitations passes. If you want to pursue a lawsuit, speak with an attorney as soon as you can. He will assist you for the success of your Nexium lawsuit.