Lawsuit Filed against Dilantin Maker for Stevens Johnson Syndrome

New Orleans, LAThe maker of Dilantin faces lawsuits alleging the drug is linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a rare but potentially fatal condition brought about by an allergic reaction to medication. According to the lawsuit, Pfizer, maker of Dilantin, failed to adequately warn patients about the risk of SJS. By the time the Stevens Johnson syndrome symptoms appeared, it was too late for patients to do anything to prevent the condition.

According to The St. Clair Record (01/18/11), a group of plaintiffs joined together to file the lawsuit against Pfizer. Some of the plaintiffs say they lost a loved one to Stevens Johnson Syndrome or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TENS), while others say they suffered SJS or TENS after taking Dilantin or medications that contained Dilantin.

According to the lawsuit, Dilantin products "are the most dangerous and lethal drugs that cause deaths from SJS/TENS." Furthermore, the plaintiffs argue, Dilantin should not have been approved as a safe treatment and the defendants did not adequately warn patients about the risks associated with Dilantin products. Finally, the plaintiffs allege that Pfizer admitted to Health Canada that drugs made with Dilantin increased risk of adverse skin reactions, but did not update warnings on Dilantin.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a serious condition in which the patient suffers a severe allergic reaction to medication, characterized by discoloration or loss of skin, loss of hair, loss of nails and burn-like lesions on skin and mucus membranes. Patients with Stevens Johnson Syndrome are often treated in a hospital's burn unit. Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis is a more serious form of Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The two are differentiated by the percentage of the patient's skin that is affected by the condition. Stevens Johnson Syndrome affects up to 30 percent of the patient's skin while Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis results in loss of more than 30 percent of the skin.

Some patients experience damage to their eyes and partial or complete loss of vision.

In addition to Dilantin, medications that have been linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis include Ibuprofen (including Children's Motrin), Ketek and Bextra.

Symptoms of Stevens Johnson Syndrome include fever, sore throat and headache that lead to skin lesions and blisters. The blisters can also form in the mouth, throat and around the patient's internal organs. Patients who develop Stevens Johnson Syndrome and/or Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis are at risk of infection or developing lesions on their lungs, both of which can be fatal.