Dubai: The Ministry of Health and Prevention has denied rumours being circulated on social media about “Nexium” drug increasing the likelihood of kidney failure, Arabic media reported on Saturday
There are no warnings against the use of Nexium, the ministry said.
An official from the ministry quoted by Emarat Al Youm newspaper also said the ministry has already contacted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency and they confirmed that no warning has been issued against the use of the drug.
Commenting on the issue, Dr Ameen Hussain Al Amiri, assistant undersecretary for Public health and Licensing Sector and vice-chairman of the Medical Licensing Committee at the ministry, said, “Nexium is a drug class used in the treatment of stomach ulcers and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). What has been circulated on social media about Nexium increasing the risk of kidney failure, including the video by CNN late in 2016, was just a study that had been conducted in the Johns Hopkins University and has not so far been taken into consideration by the FAD”.
Furthermore, Nexium’s leaflet explains that the drug side effects on kidneys are so rare, Al Amiri added.
Al Amiri noted that Nexium is not dispensed in the UAE without a prescription under medical supervision, as is the case in Europe and other Gulf states unlike the US where the medicine is available with the need to obtain a prescription.
The UAE imposes strict controls to ensure the optimal use of drugs and this drug is dispensed by a prescription which thereby regulates the process of using this drug and prevents taking it randomly without medical supervision, he underlined.
In a report sent to the ministry, the manufacturer of the drug, AstraZeneca, emphasised the safety of Nexium and said it has no side effects on kidneys, Al Amiri concluded.
