These Proton-Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) Are Linked To Acute Interstitial Nephritis, Chronic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, And Kidney Failure
(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)
In February 2017 the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) denied a motion for centralization or consolidation of federal court lawsuits brought by plaintiffs in six proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) cases alleging kidney injury. All of the defendant pharmaceutical companies in those lawsuits opposed that first effort to set up a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) for these cases.
But six months later, with more Prilosec, Prevacid, and Nexium cases filed and with some of the drug companies no longer in opposition, the JPML established IN RE: PROTON-PUMP INHIBITOR PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION (NO. II) – MDL No. 2789.
From the JPML’s Transfer Order filed on August 2, 2017 we get these details:
In the complaints in these 161 personal injury and wrongful death actions, plaintiffs allege that as a result of taking one or more proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), they or their decedents suffered kidney injury (e.g., chronic kidney disease (CKD), acute interstitial nephritis, end stage renal disease, or kidney failure). Plaintiffs allege that defendants failed to adequately warn of the negative effects and risks associated with PPIs....
In support of this new motion, plaintiffs, AstraZeneca, and Pfizer argue that the number of involved actions, districts, and plaintiffs’ counsel has increased significantly since [our ruling in February], that many more cases likely will be filed, that there now are a significant number of related state court actions, and that informal coordination and cooperation are not practicable to manage litigation of this scope. After careful review of the record, we agree with this assessment. [footnotes omitted]
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Notably, during this second time around the drug company Takeda was still opposed to the creation of any PPIs federal court MDL for various reasons. But the JPML was not convinced by their arguments, as seen from this excerpt from the Transfer Order:
And, although it is true that AstraZeneca is sued in far more actions than Takeda, a significant number of actions are “mixed use” cases in which the plaintiffs allege use of more than one PPI, and sue Takeda and one or more other PPI manufacturers, including AstraZeneca. The prospect of additional cases against Takeda does not seem far-fetched [10]. Given these circumstances, including the seemingly indivisible nature of plaintiffs’ alleged injuries in the “mixed use” cases, we decline to carve out from the MDL cases or claims against Takeda. [footnotes omitted]
Lastly, this point – which may have been a factor for the JPML when ruling this time on the Prilosec / Prevacid / Nexium federal court MDL consolidation – was mentioned in a footnote for the August 2017 Transfer Order: "The variety of alleged kidney injuries arguably has diminished, as most plaintiffs allege that they suffer from [chronic kidney disease (CKD)]...."
We are currently investigating Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, and other brand name proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) heartburn drugs, by prescription and/or over-the-counter, involving:
- Acute Interstitial Nephritis
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
- Severe Renal Impairment
- Kidney / Renal Failure
- Acute Kidney Injury
We encourage you to submit a Nexium / Prilosec / Prevacid Case Evaluation online – it is free, confidential, and there is no obligation.
DrugInjuryLaw.com: Medical & Legal Information About Drug Side Effects (All website content by attorney Tom Lamb)
Drug Injury Case Evaluation - Free. Confidential. No Obligation. (Case review done by attorney Tom Lamb)