Pharma company wants La. suit over stomach acid meds moved

A pharmaceutical maker argues a lawsuit filed against it over stomach acid reducers belongs in federal court, not a Louisiana state court.

Defendant Takeda Pharmaceuticals America Inc. filed its notice of removal January 9 to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The original complaint was filed in the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson, in Louisiana, in September.

Plaintiff Darren Dowell, a Jefferson Parish resident, alleges he developed esophageal and stomach cancers, and required surgeries that removed portions of his esophagus and stomach and reconnection of his digestive tract.

Dowell contends his cancer was caused by various proton pump inhibitors, or PPIs, including Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, and Protonix. He alleges he took the PPIs from 2006 through 2024.

PPIs are a class of medications that significantly reduce stomach acid production by blocking the enzyme system, or proton pump, in the stomach lining. Such medications are u...