Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid are just a few of the popular heartburn and acid reflux drugs that have been linked with serious side effects relating to the kidneys. These drugs are manufactured by AstraZeneca (Nexium / Prilosec) and Takeda (Prevacid).
Though Nexium has been marketed as substantially different and more effective than Prilosec, the main difference between the two is limited to the color of the pills.
Surprisingly, both Nexium and Prilosec are almost chemically identical in form. The American Council on Science and Health article “Nexium: The Dark Side of Pharma,” provides more specific information on the “one tiny (and usually insignificant)” chemical difference between the two.
While some patients claim that Nexium is more effective than Prilosec, this is typically due to the varying recommended doses for these drugs. For Prilosec, the recommended dose is only 20 mg once a day, while that of Nexium is 20 to 40 mg once a day. As such, those taking Nexium are taking twice the dose of one Prilosec pill.
Essentially, AstraZeneca’s motive for creating Nexium was solely to increase profits and replace its patent for Prilosec, which ran out in 2001. While they made $48 billion in the past decade with no new innovations or benefits to patients, patients taking the drug were duped into buying a pill that was no better than what they were originally taking.
In addition to this issue of valuing profits over patients, recent studies have revealed that patients using Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid and other proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are at risk of developing chronic kidney disease with little to no warning. For more on this new “silent” side effect of Prilosec and Nexium, see Attorney Tom Lamb’s recent article on the subject.
Some popular heartburn drugs and acid reflux medicines like Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium can cause serious kidney-related side effects, such as:
- Acute Interstitial Nephritis (AIN)
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
- Severe Renal Impairment
- Kidney / Renal Failure
- Acute Kidney Injury
At this time, we are investigating possible drug injury lawsuits against the responsible pharmaceutical companies for those who have developed any of the kidney-related medical problems listed above.
We will continue to monitor the medical literature for developments concerning serious kidney-related side effects of popular heartburn drugs and acid reflux medicines like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid.
Written by: Heather Helmendach, Legal Assistant
Law Offices of Thomas J. Lamb, P.A.
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