First PPI Bellwether Trial Scheduling Order Submitted

First PPI Bellwether Trial Scheduling Order Submitted

Introduction

On June 8, 2018, plaintiffs and defendants in the federal litigation over kidney injuries linked to Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) submitted proposals to the Court for the first bellwether scheduling order and trial date. After an initial disagreement, both the parties agreed upon May 2020 as the date to begin the first bellwether trial.

The proposed agenda indicates the parties will review with Judge Checchi a tolling agreement, updates on plaintiff and defendant fact sheets, schedules for depositions, discovery limits and other issues.

More than 4,500 lawsuits against popular heartburn drugs Nexium, Protonix, Prevacid are pending in the federal court alleging the manufacturers failed to warn about the potential risk of chronic kidney disorders.

Similar cases have been centralized as a part of multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 2789; In Re: Proton-Pump Inhibitor Products Liability Litigation [No. II]) in the District of New Jersey before Judge Claire C. Cecchi for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.