Why no one should take Nexium and it should never have been approved

[Warpy]

5. The story of omeprazole is one of the worst out there

Prilosec had been a blockbuster drug for Astra Zeneca, so much so that they were loath to give up their profits when the patent expired. Generic drugs were prepared for the market. Astra Zeneca mounted nuisance lawsuit after nuisance lawsuit over different formulations (tablets instead of timed release caps), different excipients, different colors, et cetera ad nauseum. They delayed the generics for almost three years, extending their own profits for that long. As soon as the generic came out, the price almost as high as the Prilosec it replaced due to the cost of litigation, they lobbied to get it OTC and won.

You're correct that Nexium is a "me too" second generation drug. Some second generation drugs like statins and ACE inhibitors have been improvements over the initial NIH developed drug. Nexium does not fall into this category and the doubling of the active ingredient has been linked to the malabsorption of nutrients and other drugs.