Federal Lawsuit Blames Heartburn Drug Dexilant for Kentucky Woman’s Kidney Disease

CHICAGO — A Kentucky woman has sued Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. in Illinois federal court, claiming that the company’s heartburn drug Dexilant is to blame for her development of chronic kidney disease.

Kathy Weiter filed her lawsuit Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that Takeda ignored evidence linking Dexilant to a variety of kidney-related ailments and failed to adequately warn patients and their physicians of known risks associated with the drug.

Dexilant belongs to a class of drugs known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI), which are prescribed to millions of Americans for treatment …