Nexium Lawsuits, Other Proton Pump Inhibitor Claims Alleging Kidney Failure, Chronic Kidney Disease, and Other Renal Complications Centralized in New Jersey Federal Court, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

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Aug 15, 2017, 11:27 ET

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has created a consolidated docket for all federally-filed proton pump inhibitor lawsuits involving kidney failure, chronic disease, and other serious renal complications.

In an Order dated August 2^nd, the Panel transferred more than 160 cases pending against the manufacturers of Nexium, Prilosec, and PrevAcid, among others, to the U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, where they will undergo coordinated discovery and other pretrial proceedings. Any similar lawsuits filed in federal courts in the future will also be eligible for transfer to the new multidistrict litigation. (IN RE: Proton-Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation (No. II), MDL No. 2789)

"Our Firm has filed a number of proton pump inhibitor lawsuits on behalf of clients who claim that Nexium and other drugs in this class damaged their kidneys. The creation of a centralized docket will improve judicial efficiency, eliminate duplicative discovery and inconsistent court rulings, and preserve the resources of the courts, parties, and witnesses involved in the litigation," says Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is actively filing proton pump inhibitor lawsuits on behalf of patients who allegedly suffered kidney complications due to their use of Nexium and similar heartburn drugs.

Proton Pump Inhibitors and The Kidneys

Proton pump inhibitors are indicated for the short-term treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and other stomach acid-related problems. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs in this class include:

Nexium
Nexium 24HR
Prilosec (omeprazole)
Prilosec OTC
PrevAcid (lansoprazole)
PrevAcid 24HR
Dexilant, Kapidex (dexlansoprazole)
Aciphex (rabeprazole)
Protonix (pantoprazole)
Vimovo (naproxen and esomeprazole magnesium)
Zegerid (omeprazole and sodium bicarbonate)

In 2013, more than 15 million Americans used prescription proton pump inhibitors. However, it has been estimated that between 25% and 70% of these prescriptions have no appropriate indication.

In recent years, a number of studies have suggested that long-term proton pump inhibitor use could be harmful to the kidneys:

April 2015: A study published in CMAJ Open linked proton pump inhibitors to a 3-fold increase in the risk for acute interstitial nephritis, as well as a 2.5 times higher risk of acute kidney injury.
January 2016: Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggested that proton pump inhibitors might increase the risk of chronic kidney disease by as much as 50%.
April 2016: A paper appearing in Journal of the American Society of Nephrology reported that long-term users of proton pump inhibitors may be 96% more likely to develop kidney failure and 28% more likely to develop chronic kidney disease compared to patients using H2-blockers.
February 2017: A study published in Kidney International suggested that proton pump inhibitor users who go on to develop chronic kidney disease may not experience any acute renal problems early on, leaving many unaware of the decline in kidney function.

In 2014, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) ordered that labels for Nexium and other prescription proton pump inhibitors be updated to include mention of acute interstitial nephritis. However, the labels have not been modified to note any other possible kidney side effects.

Compensation may be available to individuals who were diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, or other serious renal problems following long-term treatment with a proton pump inhibitor. To learn more about filing a proton pump inhibitor lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website, or call 800-511-5092 to arrange for a free, no obligation case review.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2017 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info(at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
http://www.rxinjuryhelp.com/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author

SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP