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Forbes

Forbes

AstraZeneca Settles CKD-Related Lawsuits But Claims No Wrongdoing

AstraZeneca Settles CKD-Related Lawsuits But Claims No Wrongdoing

Thousands of lawsuits claim AstraZeneca didn’t do enough to inform consumers of the link between heartburn drug risk and chronic kidney disease. Learn more here.


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Long-term use of heartburn medications has raised concern in recent years, as growing numbers of studies suggest that it can contribute to dementia, heart attacks, cancer, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Thousands of lawsuits have now resulted in a $425 million payout by pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to settle CKD claims. Learn more here.*

Lawsuit claims

After 11,000 lawsuits were filed through New Jersey and Delaware courts, pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $425 million to resolve them. The lawsuits claim that AstraZeneca did not take sufficient steps to warn consumers that its heartburn drugs Prilosec and Nexium could potentially cause chronic kidney disease (CKD). 

Nexium (generic: esomeprazole) and Prilosec (generic: omeprazole) are two of seven brand name drugs to relieve acid reflux that were named in a 2019 study whose findings suggested that the medications can increase the risk of life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and stomach cancer. According to other studies, such medications, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are associated with a 17% higher risk of death, as well as increased risk of:

  • Infections, 
  • Vitamin deficiencies, and 
  • Bone fractures in the wrist, hip, and spine, among other complications. 

The increased risk of CKD from long-term use of PPIs has been known since at least February 2016, when a study sponsored by Johns Hopkins was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine

While the study did not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between PPIs and CKD, the findings showed that participants who used PPIs had a 20% to 50% higher risk of CKD compared with nonusers.

AstraZeneca responds

Though the specific terms of AstraZeneca’s settlement of the 11,000 lawsuits are confidential, the company did issue a statement on October 3, 2023 which reads, “AstraZeneca continues to believe these claims are without merit and admits no wrongdoing…These settlements avoid continued costly litigation and allow the Company to move forward with its purpose of delivering life changing medicines to millions of patients around the world.” 

A third lawsuit against AstraZeneca, filed in Louisiana, was not included in the settlement and is scheduled for trial in April 2024. 

Heartburn medications from other manufacturers (and which work in different ways) that have been recalled following lawsuits include nizatidine (brand names Tazac and Axid), and ranitidine, known under several brand names, including Zantac.

It’s a good idea to consult with your doctor or pharmacist about the potential benefits and risks of any medications and supplements you take, even if they are over-the-counter.

*Whitfill Roeloffs, M. (2023, October 3). AstraZeneca Settles Lawsuits Alleging Heartburn Drugs Caused Kidney Disease For $425 Million. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/10/03/astrazeneca-settles-lawsuits-alleging-heartburn-drugs-caused-kidney-disease-for-425-million/ 

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