The 11th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals granted Roche Laboratories Inc.’s motion to dismiss the Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) lawsuit filed against the pharmaceutical giant by a patient who suffered a severe allergic reaction from allegedly taking Roche’s prescription medication Rocephin.

Plaintiff Dawn Brown had alleged that Roche failed to warn physicians and patients that their prescription antibiotic could potentially cause an individual to develop SJS. The Roche SJS lawsuit was dismissed when it was discovered that the plaintiff’s attending physician was aware of Brown’s penicillin reaction and the risk of her reacting negatively to Rocephin, but chose to prescribe the drug regardless.

Brown, a Georgia resident, allegedly developed SJS as a result of a cross-reactivity between her two prescription medication Bactrim and Rocephin. When Brown developed a sinus infection and received medical attention at her local primary care clinic, she was prescribed the antibiotic Bactrim.

Two weeks later Brown returned to the clinic with complaints of fever, sensitivity to light, headache, neck pain, and blisters forming in her mouth and throat. The physician who attended to Brown, assumed Brown had bacterial meningitis and proceeded to treat her with two injections of the Roche antibiotic Rocephin.

The motion to dismiss states the doctor was aware that Brown had experienced side effects, such as nausea, from penicillin and was also aware of the possibility of cross-reactivity between penicillin based drugs like Bactrim and antibiotics like Rocephin.

About 30 minutes after she received the two Rocephin injections, Brown allegedly developed a flat rash on her abdomen and back. When Brown returned to the clinic the following day, it was discovered that her symptoms had worsened overnight and she was diagnosed with Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). SJS and TEN are painful and sometimes fatal skin conditions that can result in the sloughing off of the first layer of skin and blistering of the sensitive mucous membrane.

Because Brown could not provide clear evidence that the Rocephin label did not sufficiently warn against the potential risk of SJS or TEN, and because the doctor allegedly disregarded the known cross-reactivity between Bactrim and Rocephin, the court dismissed the SJS lawsuit against Roche.

The Roche SJS Lawsuit is Brown v. Roche Laboratories Inc., Case No.  1:06-cv-03074-JEC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Symptoms

SJS and TEN sufferers may experience extreme pain and sensitivity as a result of the upper layer of skin pulling away from the deeper more sensitive layers. The blistering and scarring of the sensitive mucous membrane can require weeks or months of hospitalization and constant monitoring by physicians. In extreme SJS and TEN cases, a patient may die.

According to the Stevens Johnson Syndrome  Foundation, some symptoms of SJS include:

• Painful blistering of the skin and mucous membrane
• Preceded with flu like symptoms and high fever in many cases
• Sloughing off of skin
• Severe eye conditions

Rocephin is not the only prescription drug that has allegedly caused individuals to develop SJS and/or TEN. Various over-the-counter and prescription medications that have allegedly caused SJS. As a result, many victims have filed SJS class action lawsuits against drug manufacturers.

In general, SJS lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

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