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The Prilosec Lawsuit and the Negligence of Drug Manufacturers

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Have you heard about the Prilosec OTC issues regarding its side effects on the internal organs? Read more and know about the issues and lawsuits against Prilosec.

The development of modern medicinal drugs is one of the most important breakthroughs in science. Today, we heavily rely on modern medication to treat diseases and alleviate the symptoms brought about by these diseases. Most of the illnesses that people experience can now be easily cured with a prescription drug that anyone can purchase at a pharmacy or a drug store. 

There is no doubt that modern medicine is the most effective way of curing diseases but there are cases that these medicines have brought more harm than good. There are instances that modern medicine has caused harmful side effects to the patients or there were long-term effects that developed in their bodies after continuously taking their prescription medicine. In these cases, the company that manufactured the drugs is to blame and this usually leads to lawsuits filed by the people who have taken the medicine as well as other concerned parties and organizations. These lawsuits take a lot of time to be resolved and most companies that become involved in these lawsuits usually end up taking losses due to fines or worse, going bankrupt and closing all of their operations. 

Here, we will look at one of the recent lawsuits that involve a prescription medicine used for treating acid reflux, the dangerous side effects of the drug, and how the lawsuit was handled.

The Rise and Fall of Prilosec

Prilosec is a drug that is classified as a PPI (proton pump inhibitor), a class of medicines that are used to reduce the production of gastrointestinal acid. The drug was available over-the-counter (OTC) and by prescription and was widely used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, difficulty in swallowing, and for the prevention of esophageal cancer and ulcers.

The use of this prescription drug was first approved in the United States back in 1989 and in 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Association approved its use as an OTC drug, which was Prilosec OTC. The U.S. Food and Drug Association (FDA) is the highest governing body that regulates and motors all food and medicinal products in the United States up to this day. Following this, Prilosec soared over other brands of PPI-class drugs in popularity worldwide as the go-to medicine for anything related to heartburn and acid reflux. 

But in the past decade, recent studies related to the use of this drug have raised issues regarding possible Prilosec side effects and long-term effects it causes to a person’s internal organs. Several studies have shown that these classes of drugs have effects on the kidneys and may cause kidney failure, swelling, and other kidney-related diseases. Other side effects also affected the gastrointestinal organs such as the stomach, intestines, and esophagus as there were studies that show that there were risks of developing esophageal cancer and stomach cancer with the long-term use of these drugs. At this point, rumors of a lawsuit were starting to spread amongst the consumers. Attorneys at Schmidt & Clark are among those representing those people who filed a Prilosec lawsuit..

The Prilosec Lawsuit

In 2017, lawsuits involving the drug Prilosec blew up and there were floods of complaints from various consumers. Various law firms, such as the Schmidt & Clark, LLP, also tried to accept complaints and file lawsuits for consumers all over the country. 

The lawyers of these consumers tried to handle the negotiations for a trial but there was a problem regarding the side of the manufacturers. Allegedly, the lawyers of the manufacturers were avoiding discussions regarding the trial date. After a few talks and negotiations, both sides were reported to have settled on a trial date, which was scheduled much later in May 2020. At this point, there were almost 4,500 lawsuits lined up for the PPI-class medicines and a judicial panel decided to organize these cases as multidistrict litigations (MDL). Later on, a case management order issued on the 12th of June 2018 by the District Court of New Jersey pushed back the trial date by four months, to September 2020. 

Meanwhile, the response of the drug manufacturers was not looking too good as they seemed uncooperative and indifferent to the lawsuits being filed one after another. Also, various court filings by the lawyers of the consumers added up to the bad image of the manufacturers. They stated that the manufacturers allegedly failed to test their drugs completely and they purposely concealed the health risks of Prilosec from the public. They also state that the manufacturers show negligent behavior in their drug-making process which affects the effectiveness and safeness of the medicine. The lawyers of the consumers are now pushing for settlements and are seeking more than $10 million for pharmaceutical negligence, product liability, and drug company liability.

As of today, the trial for Prilosec and its manufacturer still stands as the investigations regarding the matter are still in their early stages. There is also no statement or recalls from the U.S Food And Drug Administration as of today. Also, according to their test results, there are yet to be seen traces of carcinogen in Prilosec. Since the matter has not yet been properly resolved, caution is the only word of advice that the consumers can trust for now and constant vigilance remains on medicinal products.


READ ABOUT PRILOSEC SIDE EFFECTS LAWSUITS

Prilosec Side Effects Legal Help

If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your Prilosec Side Effects claim at no cost or obligation.

READER COMMENTS

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The "recent studies related to the use of this drug [that] have raised issues regarding possible Prilosec side effects" were association studies that have been disproved. The July 2019 paper, "Large Randomized Trial Supports Safety of PPIs" provided the proof that PPIs are actually safe,
It did also show a large proportion of claims the medication was not safe came from lawyers rather than treating physicians.

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