More Patients Suffering Effects of SJS

Boston, MAFollowing news of a big award being upheld in a Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit, more lawsuits alleging a link between common medications and Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) are being filed. Concerns have been raised about a link between Zithromax and Stevens Johnson Syndrome, similar to other common drugs, while SJS lawsuits allege patients were not adequately warned about the risk of a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction.

In May, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld an award made to a young girl who alleged she suffered serious, permanent injury after taking Children’s Motrin when she was only seven years old. According to her lawsuit, Samantha Reckis suffered permanent organ damage, liver and heart failure, seizures and a stroke because of an allergic reaction to the medication. The jury awarded Reckis $50 million, and gave each of her parents $6.5 million.

Although Johnson & Johnson, maker of Children’s Motrin, appealed the award, the Supreme Judicial Court ultimately agreed with the lower court’s award and upheld it.

Now, a lawsuit has reportedly been filed against Pfizer for allegedly failing to warn that Advil was linked to SJS and its more serious form, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis. According to court documents, the plaintiffs are parents of a minor, who suffered “catastrophic, permanent and irreparable injuries as a result of horrific diseases that caused the skin to slough and melt off the body of A.L., a minor child, resembling second and third degree burns, and diagnosed as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.”

The lawsuit alleges A.L. lost approximately 80 percent of her skin, scarring of her vaginal and cervical area, permanent gynecological damage, potential sterilization, permanent disfigurement, and significant pulmonary and eye damage. Throughout her ordeal, she incurred enormous medical bills and will reportedly require further medical testing and monitoring.

A.L.’s family alleges Wyeth, which was bought by Pfizer in 2009, knew back in 1995 that Advil had been linked to cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in pediatric studies.

“To the extent the scientific literature was reported to the FDA, it was done so piecemeal, in an attempt to downplay the known risk of SJS/TEN associated with Advil in order to minimize the risk that the FDA would require Wyeth to add an adequate warning about those conditions to the product’s label,” the lawsuit alleges.

A.L. and her family claim Wyeth knew there were cases of SJS/TEN in Advil trials but told the FDA and consumers there were no such cases linked to Advil. Pfizer has said there is no evidence to support claims that Advil is linked to Stevens Johnson Syndrome, but the plaintiffs allege in their lawsuit that Wyeth “admitted a plausible causal relationship between SJS and ibuprofen” in 2003, following which the French government requested a warning change to the Advil label.

The lawsuit is Lynch et al v. Pfizer, et al, case number 154647/2015 in the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York.