An Arizona man says he suffered from kidney disease and needed a kidney transplant as a result of taking the heartburn drug Nexium.
According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Seth W. began taking the drug to treat heartburn and acid reflux starting in 2002. However, the plaintiff alleges Nexium caused kidney disease and ultimately required a kidney transplant. The plaintiff said he never would have taken the drug had he known the risk of Nexium caused kidney failure.
Nexium is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). It is one of the most popular drugs in the nation to treat GERD, as well as heartburn and acid reflux. Recently, drug makers have come under fire for allegedly failing to provide warnings about the serious side effects of Nexium.
“During the period in which Nexium has been sold in the United States, hundreds of reports of injury have been submitted to the FDA regarding the ingestion of Nexium and other PPIs,” alleges the lawsuit. “Defendants have had notice of serious adverse health outcomes through case reports, clinical studies and post-market surveillance.”
According to the lawsuit, Nexium caused kidney disease and has been associated with other problems, such as:
- Acute interstitial nephritis, also known as inflammation of the kidney
- Renal failure
- Chronic kidney disease
The lawsuit alleges that the drug maker, AstraZeneca, failed to warn doctors and patients about the serious risks of the drug and that Nexium caused kidney disease.
“From the time Defendants began developing Nexium, up to and including the present time, Defendants through their public relations efforts fraudulently and negligently represented to the medical and healthcare community, the FDA, the public, include to Plaintiffs and Plaintiff Seth W[.]’s prescribing physicians, that Nexium had been tested and was found to be safe and/or effective for its indicated use,” alleges the lawsuit.
“Defendants regularly made these representations through various channels including through reports, press releases, advertising campaigns, television commercials, print ads, magazine ads, billboards, other commercial media, and their product labeling that was distributed and/or directed to the medical communities and public, including Plaintiff and his prescribing physicians.”
The plaintiff alleges that in addition to causing kidney disease, Nexium caused him to undergo a kidney transplant and suffer other medical injuries. He says that as a result of taking the drug, he had to undergo dialysis.
Further, the plaintiff says he suffered severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, economic loss, and emotional distress. The plaintiff’s wife also says that she lost the companionship of her husband due to Nexium caused kidney failure.
The plaintiff is seeking economic and non-economic damages, compensatory damage, punitive damages and for AstraZeneca to disgorge profits from the sale of Nexium.
The Nexium Kidney Failure Lawsuit is Seth W. v. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, et al., Case No. 2:17-cv-12186, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, Newark Division.
If Nexium caused kidney disease or other medical side effects for you or a loved one, consider contacting the attorneys at Bradley/Grombacher to evaluate your claim.
Note: Bradley/Grombacher is not representing the plaintiff in this lawsuit.
