In late October, Pfizer Inc. agreed to a $3.78 million Dilantin Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) settlement to resolve a wrongful death Dilantin lawsuit brought forth by the family of a 9-year-old girl who allegedly died from TEN (an advanced stage of Stevens Johnson Syndrome) caused by the Pfizer drugs Dilantin and Flagyl.

New York girl Jesse Nichols Jacobson was 9 years old when she was diagnosed with SJS, which then worsened and became the more severe skin condition TEN. Jesse allegedly developed the allergic skin reaction just two days after taking Dilantin and then allegedly died in June 2004, according to the Dilantin SJS lawsuit. 

In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that consumers who used Dilantin, a popular antiepileptic drug, may be at risk of contracting SJS or TEN after taking the Pfizer prescription medication.

Flagyl, also produced by Pfizer, is an antibiotic that has also received numerous reports of consumers developing SJS.

According to the Dilantin TEN lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege that the pharmaceutical company issued drug warnings in Canada and other countries about the increased risk of developing SJS or TEN for consumers of African descent while taking Dilantin but failed to give a similar warning throughout the United States. Pfizer has yet to warn U.S. doctors of the alleged Dilantin SJS risk.

What is Stevens Johnson Syndrome?

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidural Necrolysis (TEN) are both painful skin conditions that occur as an allergic reaction to a number of over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications.

When a patient develops SJS and TEN, a series of rashes begin to form on the skin and can quickly progress into a painful, burn-like state. As the SJS and/TEN reaction becomes more and more severe, the topmost layer of skin cells dies and falls off, leaving the deeper, more sensitive skin layers and the delicate mucous membrane exposed to infection and blistering.

In extreme SJS and TEN cases, a patient may undergo so much trauma from the skin reaction that it could be fatal.

Medications with SJS Side Effects

While a person could potentially have a SJS or TEN allergic reaction from any medication, certain drugs have a higher prevalence of SJS victims than others. In addition to Dilantin, these drugs include:

• Antibiotics
• Anticonvulsants
• Sulfa based drugs
• Bactrim
• Septra
• Acetaminophen
• Amoxicillin
• Azithromycin (Zithromax)
• Barbiturates
• Ibuprofen-Motrin
• Penicillin
• Naproxen

As a result of the pain and suffering experienced by Dilantin SJS and Dilantin TEN victims, many individuals have filed Dilantin SJS lawsuits or joined Dilantin SJS class action lawsuits.