While admitting no wrongdoing in a lawsuit accusing Astra Zeneca of failing to warn users that its heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec could cause chronic kidney failure, the drug company has agreed to pay $425 million to 11,000 litigants.

The two proton pump inhibitors, along with five other brand name acid reflux medications, have been the subjects of medical journal studies suggesting they may pose a higher risk for dementia, heart attack and chronic kidney disease, and may even raise the risk for heart disease and stomach cancer.

One study indicated that patients who used the drugs had a 17% higher death risk. “They’re also associated with greater risk of infections, vitamin deficiencies and bone fractures in the wrist, hip or spine,” Forbes said.

The current settlement is with the states of New Jersey and Delaware; a third lawsuit, with Louisiana, isn’t scheduled for trial until April 2024.

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Forbes October 3, 2023