New Mass Tort Spotlight: Proton Pump Inhibitors

Posted on June 13, 2016

After release of an alarming January 2016 study linking chronic kidney disease (CKD), to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) Anapol Weiss began to take on Nexium, Protonix, Prilosec and Prevacid. These popular stomach acid reducers have a potentially deadly side effect.

An estimated 15 million Americans take prescription PPIs, and the drugs are also available over-the-counter. PPIs block the production of stomach acid and are commonly taken to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), heart burn, peptic or stomach ulcers, and damage to the lower esophagus caused by acid reflux.

As leaders in national dangerous drug litigations, the attorneys at Anapol Weiss will continue to pursue the details on behalf of CKD victims who took PPI drugs for an extended period of time.

CKD involves the gradual loss of kidney function. A patient must undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant if the condition progresses to end-stage kidney failure. A second study published in April 2016 also linked PPI drugs to a higher risk of CKD. Using data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a second set of researchers found patients who took PPIs had a 96 percent increased risk of kidney failure and a 28 percent increased risk of developing CKD – when compared to patients who took histamine H2 receptor blockers instead.

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