AstraZeneca to Pay $425 Million to Settle US Lawsuits Regarding Heartburn Medications, Reports Reuters

By Brendan Pierson

Britain’s AstraZeneca has reached a settlement of $425 million to resolve approximately 11,000 lawsuits in the United States alleging that its heartburn medications, Nexium and Prilosec, caused chronic kidney disease.

Under the terms of the settlement, AstraZeneca did not admit to any wrongdoing. This agreement is part of broader litigation involving manufacturers of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a class of heartburn drugs. The company’s stock experienced a slight decline of 0.4% following the news.

Plaintiffs’ attorney Chris Seeger stated that the settlements represent a significant victory for the many patients who allegedly suffered kidney injuries due to the medications.

One case is still set to go to trial in Louisiana in April. Nexium alone generated approximately $1.3 billion in revenue for AstraZeneca last year, while sales figures for Prilosec were not disclosed.

Many of the lawsuits against PPI manufacturers were consolidated in a New Jersey federal court in 2017, with additional cases covered by the settlement taking place in New Jersey and Delaware state courts.

The lawsuits claim that the use of PPIs resulted in kidney damage or failure, with allegations that manufacturers failed to adequately warn consumers about these risks. The claims include both prescription and over-the-counter versions of the drugs.

There are ongoing claims against Abbott Laboratories and Takeda Pharmaceutical regarding their PPI Prevacid, as well as against Takeda concerning its Dexilant medication.

Additionally, separate litigation is underway against GSK and other companies concerning the now-discontinued heartburn medication Zantac, which plaintiffs allege can cause cancer. GSK has settled some individual cases before they went to trial but still faces a significant number of cases in state courts.

Previously, GSK and other Zantac sellers successfully had around 50,000 cases dismissed in federal court, with a judge ruling that the claims lacked a sound scientific basis.