Nexium Kidney Failure Lawsuits Move Forward, as Federal Court Sets Parameters for Science Day

Published on May 7, 2018 by Sandy Liebhard

The federal court overseeing thousands of kidney injury lawsuits filed against the manufacturers of Nexium and other proton pump inhibitors has set parameters for Science Day, which will be convened on May 16^th in the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey.

Proton Pump Inhibitors Lawsuits: Science Day Topics

According to a Case Management Order dated May 4^th, Science Day” is intended to give plaintiffs and defendants an opportunity to provide the Court with an overview of certain medical and scientific issues central to the litigation in “an objective format without advocacy.”

Topics to be addressed on Science Day include:

• Background on the diseases treated with proton pump inhibitors.
• Background on acid suppressors, including proton pump inhibitors, including how they work and their approved indications.
• The kidney injuries alleged in the litigation.
• The medical literature related to proton pump inhibitors and the alleged kidney injuries.

Proton Pump Inhibitors Lawsuits: Science Day Format

Each side will be allotted 2.5 hours and may use up to two experts to make their Science Day presentations. The experts will not be subject to cross examination.

Science Day will be closed to the public, and none of the information presented will be “discoverable, admissible, used in any fashion for impeachment purposes or for collateral attack on any presenter, shared beyond the instant litigation, or used for any purpose other than for this Court’s benefit to gather informal knowledge at Science Day.”

Proton Pump Inhibitors Kidney Injury Allegations

More than 2,300 product liability lawsuits have been filed in the District of New Jersey on behalf of individuals who suffered kidney failure and other serious renal complications allegedly associated with their long-term use of Nexium, PrevAcid, Prilosec, Dexilant, and Protonix.

The cases have been centralized in a multidistrict litigation in order to undergo coordinated pretrial proceedings before a single judge.

Nexium and other proton pump inhibitors are indicated for the short-term treatment of GERD and other peptic disorders associated with the excess production of stomach acid.  The drugs are available in both prescription and over-the-counter versions and are taken by millions of Americans every year.

Because they are so common, many people believe that medications like Nexium have few side effects.  However, recent studies have linked inappropriate proton pump inhibitor use to bone fractures, certain infections, heart attacks, vitamin B 12 deficiency, and low magnesium levels. Research has also suggested that people who take proton pump inhibitors for an extended period of time are more likely to develop serious kidney problems, including chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, acute interstitial nephritis, and kidney failure.

Plaintiffs pursuing proton pump inhibitor lawsuits in the District of New Jersey claim that the drugs’ manufacturers were aware for years that their products could harm the kidneys but failed to notify patients and doctors of these risks. They further charge that they could have avoided life-threatening kidney injuries and complications had they or their doctors received adequate notice from the defendants.