PPI Lawsuits for Kidney Disease, Stomach Cancer

The manufacturers of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are being sued by patients who were diagnosed with certain types of kidney problems.

The suits claim that the makers of these acid reflux drugs failed to properly warn patients about the risk of acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). AIN causes sudden kidney inflammation and can significantly damage the organ over time.

Read more about these lawsuits below or contact us here if you or a loved one took a PPI and was diagnosed with kidney disease. Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are also speaking with PPI users who developed stomach or esophageal cancer to help determine whether these individuals have legal recourse. 

What Do These Lawsuits Say About PPIs?

The lawsuits claim that PPIs are defectively designed, dangerous to human health and lack proper warnings about the risk of kidney problems.

According to the lawsuits, the manufacturers knew – or should have known – that irreversible and life-threating kidney damage is associated with the use of their products yet failed to provide adequate warnings or instructions to doctors and patients. Research published as early as 1992 links the use of PPIs to kidney problems. It wasn’t until 2014, however, that the manufacturers changed the labeling of their products to reflect the risk of a specific problem known as acute interstitial nephritis (AIN).

Even with this warning, the suits say, patients and healthcare providers still lack the information necessary to determine whether to start or continue a drug regimen “with the potential for such dire consequences.”

The warnings make no mention the risk of acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease that can develop as a result of AIN and were never applied to the OTC versions of the drugs.

The lawsuits further allege that the design of PPIs is more dangerous than consumers would reasonably expect and that safer alternatives are available.

Acute Interstitial Nephritis

It may take time for symptoms of AIN to manifest and even when they do, the disease can be difficult to diagnose. This is because early symptoms of the condition are rather vague and include problems such as fatigue, nausea and weakness.

Patients with untreated AIN may need to undergo permanent dialysis and/or a kidney transplant.

Stomach and Esophageal Cancer

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are also investigating whether patients who took PPIs and were diagnosed with stomach and/or esophageal cancer have the right to sue. A study published in late 2017 found that in addition to kidney damage, PPIs may also be linked to an increased risk of gastric cancer.

The study looked at nearly 64,000 patients who were prescribed both a PPI and course of antibiotics to treat a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in the digestive tract. According to the study, many of these patients continued to take PPIs after their infections were gone. When compared to patients who took another type of antacid medication known as an H2 blocker (e.g., Zantac), patients taking PPIs were 150% more likely to develop stomach cancer, the study found.

What Brands of PPIs Are Being Named in the Lawsuits?

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are also investigating claims against the makers of Kapidex, Aciphex and Zegerid.

How Could a Lawsuit Help?

In cases of death, the family may be eligible to collect money for funeral expenses, loss of expected earnings and loss of companionship.

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