Topline
AstraZeneca has agreed to pay $425 million over 11,000 claims the heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec caused chronic kidney disease.
Key Facts
AstraZeneca did not disclose specific terms of the agreement, but said in a statement it admits no wrongdoing and still believes the suits filed against it are “without merit.”
The settlement resolves lawsuits in New Jersey and Delaware courts that claim the company did not appropriately warn patients of the risks of chronic kidney disease posed by the two medications.
A third lawsuit, filed in Louisiana, is not included in the settlement and is set to go to trial in April.
Shares of AstraZeneca were up just 0.2% before the opening bell Tuesday after some worried the settlement would cost the company more than it ultimately settled for, Bloomberg reported.
Key Background
Long-term use of heartburn medications has been a topic of scientific discussion in recent years as studies suggest it can lead to dementia, heart attack and chronic kidney disease, according to Harvard Health. Nexium and Prilosec were just two of seven brand name acid reflux drugs that were named in a 2019 study suggesting such medicines raise the risk of fatal conditions like heart disease and stomach cancer. Called proton pump inhibitors, these medications were linked with a 17% higher death risk, according to a study published in The BMJ journal. They’re also associated with greater risk of infections, vitamin deficiencies and bone fractures in the wrist, hip or spine, according to University of Michigan researchers.
Surprising Fact
GSK Plc, another British pharmaceutical company, in June reached a settlement with a man who claimed regular use of Zantac over several years caused his cancer. Zantac and its generic versions were taken off the market in 2020 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found it contained a probable carcinogen called NDMA, Bloomberg reported. The settlement in the California case was not disclosed and GSK said it still believes it has no liability in the case. Other heartburn drugs that were recalled include nizatidine and ranitidine.
Zantac Lawsuit Update October 2023: What You Need To Know About The Heartburn Medication (Forbes)
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