Prilosec is a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) that decreases the amount of acid produced in the stomach. It is used to treat GERD and other conditions. AstraZeneca began producing Prilosec in 1989. Studies link Prilosec to severe dangerous health conditions such as dementia, kidney disease, and kidney injury failure. Many news outlets reported on this.
People have turned to the legal system to seek justice from AstraZeneca, the company that makes Prilosec. Plaintiffs of Prilosec lawsuits are entitled to recover damages for:
- Pain and Suffering
- Medical Bills
- Lost Wages
Nova Legal Funding now offers pre-settlement loans for Prilosec cases. If you have taken Prilosec and you have an open lawsuit, you can qualify for funding. Pre-settlement loans are cash advances that get paid back when your case settles. A pre-settlement loan can be used to offset many costs you may have.
To apply for a pre-settlement loan give us a call 800-760-0704 or apply online.
Adverse Effects of Taking Prilosec that Qualify Plaintiffs for Funding
Patients who took Prilosec started complaining of health issues early on. These included:
- ulcers
- erosive esophagitis
- nausea and stomach pain
- headache
Reports soon came out that there were serious risks of taking Prilosec. Any patient who took them for some time could be at a greater risk of:
- chronic kidney disease
- heart attack
- dementia
- hypomagnesemia
- bone fractures
- seizures
AstraZeneca has estimated annual earnings of $26 billion. Prilosec sales in 2000 were around $6.1 billion. Once Prilosec turned over an over-the-counter drug, sales in 2013 were nearly $400 million. In short, AstraZeneca has enough money to drag this case on if it wants. Qualifying for a pre-settlement loan is easy. You simply have to meet these criteria to be considered for a loan:
- you must have taken Prilosec
- you must have suffered from any of the listed side effects
- you must have a lawyer who is handling your case.
Once our team reviews the information received from your lawyer, we’ll be able to see how much we can qualify you for.
Information about Prilosec Lawsuits: Recent Settlements, Verdicts, and the Status of Litigation
The pharmaceutical giant AstaZeneca began producing a drug called Losec in 1990. They changed the name shortly after to Prilosec, so it wouldn’t be confused with other drugs. By 2002, they lost the patent protection for their pill, so they made a generic version. Prilosec became an over-the-counter drug in 2003.
In 2006, the Journal of American Medical Association released a study showing that the drug increased the chance of hip fractures. The drug didn’t actually receive FDA warnings about this until 2010. In 2011 the FDA issued a warning saying that the drug could cause unusual levels of magnesium.
The FDA would go on to issue or revise warnings about the drug. An independent 2010 study examined medical records from a global database. It reviewed 209,000 pregnancies. The study showed a link between the use of Prilosec and heart defects.
Two different studies came out in 2016. They were done by different medical journals. One was done by the Journal of American Medical Association and the other by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. They showed that using Prilosec resulted in:
- a 44% increased risk of developing dementia
- 20 – 50% increased chance of developing kidney disease
- a higher risk of heart attack.
Lawsuits began mounting soon after regarding Prilosec and Nexium. Nexium was the “next generation” of the drug made by AstraZeneca in 2003. One of the most significant lawsuits that Prilosec faced was its Warning Label Case. Plaintiffs claimed that the packaging did not warn against all the possible side effects of the drug. AstraZeneca was sued for illegal marketing because it created a generic version of the same drug to avoid liability. They settled in 2015 for $20 million. They’ve also faced and settled lawsuits for their part in a kickback scheme.
How Much is My Prilosec Case Worth, and When Will it Settle?
The settlement of the Nexium cases gives an idea of what a case like this might go for. There is no guarantee of that, though. Every drug case is different and the settlements could vary. How much a person will receive also depends on how many people file claims.
The factors that determine how much a client could receive are:
- what the damages for taking the drug are
- how long the client took the drug
- where the case is set to be tried.
If a loved one died because of taking the drug, that increases the case value.
Despite the $20 million settlement on Nexium, Prilosec cases are still being processed and handled in court now. Because the drugs were similar and caused similar problems, it’s expected for the Prilosec cases to follow a similar path. The defendant settled cases for Nexium users and also a nearly $8mm in a kickback lawsuit. These each took years to resolve. Hopefully, with the Nexium cases already done, the Prilosec cases will move more quickly through the courts. As of late 2016, the pharma company has not offered any settlement.
How Much is My Pradaxa Case Worth?
The first round of settlements has been completed, and most clients have been paid out of the initial settlement. At $650 million to settle roughly 4000 cases, each client was awarded an average of more than $160k.
Attorneys are still gathering new cases, however, to go after as patients are still coming forward who have suffered from the drug. In most cases when there is an initial settlement, future rounds of the settlement could settle for less. This is not always the case. Some patients are being advised to expect comparable numbers to the first settlement.
How Nova Legal Funding Can Help
The lawsuit process for your Prilosec case can take years to settle. It is very difficult to compete with major pharma companies that spend millions on lawyer fees. You do not have to suffer from financial hardship while waiting for your case to settle. Nova Legal Funding will help you get a pre-settlement loan, so you can focus on your recovery. We can approve you at industry-low rates, and there are no up-front costs to you. You pay nothing if you lose your case. We don’t look at your employment history or your credit history to approve you!
Our clients are our top priority. We will keep your information confidential. Call us today at 800-760-0704 or apply online to start the pre-settlement loan process.