Lawsuit Filed Alleging Nexium Causes Bone Fractures
A lawsuit was filed against the company AstraZeneca, the makers of the acid reflux drug Nexium in the U.S. District Court in Houston, TX just last month.
This lawsuit is the first lawsuit filed against AstraZeneca arising from claims of bone fractures caused by the use of Nexium. AstraZeneca marketed and sold Nexium without warning consumers of its side effects despite allegation that the company was aware that Nexium caused bones to severely deteriorate and break.
The 58-year-old woman who filed the lawsuit indicated that she took Nexium on a daily basis from the 2003 to early 2011. She is suing the drug manufacturer because the fibula in her leg snapped and broke while she was walking in July of 2005. Later in June of 2007, the same bone and three bones in her ankle broke when she was walking down a flight of stairs.
It was not until March of this year that the FDA issued a safety alert stating that the use of Nexium and other prescription proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) could result in an increased risk of fractures. Back in May of 2010, the FDA had mandated that companies that manufactured these PPI's include safety information and warnings about the increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures associated with their use.
Six studies were done in 2006, which found that the risk of fracture went up dramatically for patients over 50 years of age whom took prescription-strength PPI's regularly for more than one year. The risk of fractures for women in particular went up 34 percent. The drug and it components, while reducing hydrochloric acid in the stomach, interferes with the body's ability to absorb calcium.
Sales of the drug Nexium generate about $14 billion per year for the drug manufacturer. The drug is approved for the treatment of ulcers, acid reflux disease and erosive esophagitis. There were 119 million prescriptions written for drugs containing PPI’s last year and about 69 percent of those were written for "off-label" uses, meaning the drugs have not been approved as safe and effective for those uses by the FDA.
The woman who is bringing the Nexium lawsuit is accusing AstraZeneca of failing to warn doctors and patients of the potential risk of bone fracture side effects. She also alleges that the company knew or should have known about the health risks.
If you have suffered serious side effects from Nexium including bone fractures, you may have a right to financial compensation for your injuries. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we understand the emotional toll and life altering impact that serious injuries can have on you and your family. If you or someone you loved have been injured, contact the experienced GA product attorneys at Montlick and Associates for your free initial consultation. Call 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333), or complete our free case evaluation form at www.montlick.com. Montlick & Associates has been helping those injured by defective drugs in the Atlanta area and throughout Georgia and the SouthEast for over 39 years including the cities of Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller and rural towns in the area.