AstraZeneca settles lawsuits over heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec for $425 million

AstraZeneca agreed to pay $425 million to settle thousands of U.S. lawsuits claiming its heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec caused kidney damage.
One remaining lawsuit set for trial in April 2024 was not part of the settlement agreements reached in New Jersey and Delaware courts.
Plaintiffs alleged AstraZeneca failed to properly warn about the risk of chronic kidney disease from prolonged use of the drugs.
AstraZeneca denies wrongdoing but settled to avoid further litigation, even as it faces declining sales with Nexium and Prilosec patents expired.
Other drugmakers including Procter & Gamble, Pfizer and GSK have settled similar proton-pump inhibitor lawsuits over undisclosed health risks.