comedian Larry the Cable Guy The marketing campaign will continue to feature comedian Larry the Cable Guy, who has acted as a Prilosec OTC spokesperson since last year.

Oct 3 (Reuters) - Britain's AstraZeneca (AZN.L) has agreed to pay $425 million to settle about 11,000 lawsuits in the United States that claimed its heartburn drugs Nexium and Prilosec caused chronic kidney disease.

Omeprazole was first made in 1979 by Swedish AB Hässle, part of Astra AB. It was the first of the proton pump inhibitors (PPI). Astra AB, now AstraZeneca, launched it as an ulcer medicine under the name Losec in Sweden.

Common Prilosec side effects include headache, stomach pain and nausea. Long-term Prilosec use has been linked to kidney damage, bone fractures and other dangerous side effects. Unlike prescription Prilosec, Prilosec OTC is safe to treat frequent heartburn.

Nexium and Prilosec are defective and unreasonably dangerous. The manufacturers (including AstraZeneca, Proctor & Gamble, and Pfizer) were negligent in the production of the drug. The manufacturers failed to properly test the medication, and failed to warn doctors and patients of certain risks.

It contains one active ingredient: Omeprazole, in its salt form Omeprazole magnesium. Omeprazole is a medication used to improve the symptoms of heartburn, and to treat related conditions such as ulcers, tissue damage and infection with the bacteria called H.

Each delayed-release capsule contains either 10 mg, 20 mg or 40 mg of omeprazole in the form of enteric-coated granules with the following inactive ingredients: cellulose, disodium hydrogen phosphate, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hypromellose, lactose, mannitol, sodium lauryl sulfate and other ingredients.

Prilosec OTC is used to treat frequent heartburn. Heartburn occurs when the stomach contents back up and out of the stomach into the esophagus (the tube that connects the throat to the stomach). Frequent heartburn is when you have heartburn 2 or more days a week.

Both over-the-counter omeprazole and prescription omeprazole have the same active ingredient and work the same way. However, prescription omeprazole is used to treat diseases that require consultation with a doctor. The prescription dosage may also be used for a longer period of time than when taken as an OTC.

Prilosec OTC and Zantac 360 are available in prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) forms.

Prilosec Lawsuits The study found a higher risk of chronic kidney disease in patients using proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec. The study also suggested that long-term users of PPIs were at the greatest risk of chronic kidney disease.

Long-term Prilosec use has been linked to kidney damage, bone fractures and other dangerous side effects. Unlike prescription Prilosec, Prilosec OTC is safe to treat frequent heartburn. Board-certified physicians medically review Drugwatch content to ensure its accuracy and quality.