If You Purchased the Drug Nexium® (esomeprazole magnesium) in Massachusetts, A Class Action Lawsuit May Affect Your Rights.

SEATTLE, Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by GCG Inc., Notice Administrator regarding the Commonwealth Care Alliance v. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals L.P., Docket No. 05-0269.

If You Purchased the Drug Nexium® (esomeprazole magnesium) in Massachusetts, A Class Action Lawsuit May Affect Your Rights.

There is a class action lawsuit pending in Suffolk County Superior Court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ("Lawsuit").  The name of the Lawsuit is Commonwealth Care Alliance v. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals L.P., Docket No. 05-0269.  The Court has certified a class of individuals and entities that purchased Nexium® in Massachusetts (the "Class").  The Court has not made any finding or reached any conclusion as to whether AstraZeneca is liable to the Class.

What do Plaintiffs say about the Lawsuit?

Plaintiffs claim that Defendant AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals L.P. ("AstraZeneca") violated a Massachusetts state law by deceptively marketing the drug Nexium® as superior to another drug, Prilosec® or its generic version, omeprazole.  Plaintiffs are not claiming that Nexium® is unsafe in any way.  The Lawsuit asks the Court to order AstraZeneca to pay restitution to purchasers for amounts they allegedly overpaid, to award money damages, or to grant other relief.  

What does AstraZeneca say about the Lawsuit?

AstraZeneca contends that its marketing of Nexium® has always been truthful.  AstraZeneca also contends that physicians exercised their independent medical judgment to prescribe Nexium® for numerous patient-specific reasons, that many class members obtained greater relief from their symptoms with Nexium® than with Prilosec® or omeprazole, and that many saved money by purchasing Nexium® instead of Prilosec® or omeprazole.  

Am I involved in the Lawsuit?

You are a member of the Class if you have purchased Nexium® in Massachusetts since March 2001.  If you purchased Nexium® since March 2001 in Massachusetts, you may be eligible to receive money or benefits from the Lawsuit, if any are recovered.

For a detailed notice about the Lawsuit, as well as information about how to file a Notice of Appearance on or before December 5, 2011, if you wish to make a personal appearance in the Lawsuit:

• Call toll-free: 1 (866) 881-8313; or
• Visit:  www.MassachusettsNexiumLitigation.com; or
• Write:  Massachusetts Nexium Litigation Administrator, c/o The Garden City Group, Inc., P.O. Box 9702, Dublin, OH 43017-5602

SOURCE GCG Inc., Notice Administrator