A Minnesota resident has filed a civil lawsuit against the drug manufacturers Pfizer and Wyeth, accusing the companies of failing to warn against a dangerous allergic skin reaction associated with Advil.

Plaintiff Lamar H. ingested Advil when he was 16 years old and suffered a severe adverse drug reaction known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS). Lamar suffered severe blistering over 35 percent of his body, leaving essentially no skin on his face, neck, scalp, trunk, back, buttocks, arms, and legs. According to the Advil Stevens Johnson Syndrome lawsuit, Lamar spent over one month in the hospital and underwent numerous surgeries.  As a result of SJS, Hodges is permanently disfigured, blind in one eye, and will likely lose all sight in the future.

As part of his SJS lawsuit against Pfizer and Wyeth, Lamar alleged a manufacturing defect claim. Although it dismissed this specific claim, the court deferred ruling on his additional claims in order to allow Lamar to amend his complaint on the remaining claims including failure to warn, negligence, and fraud.

SJS Symptoms

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and its more severe form, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), are serious life-threatening skin disorders that can also result in blindness, organ dysfunction and death. Symptoms include rashes, redness, and blisters, and eventually can entail the shedding of major parts of the victim’s body surfaces.

SJS symptoms can begin with a fever, sore throat and headache and over a few days (or sometimes even minutes) can turn into skin lesions, blisters and respiratory infection. SJS generally affects the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat, also causing swelling of the eyelids, and can progress to blindness and internal organ damage.

As Stevens Johnson Syndrome evolves, the skin literally sloughs off in sheets. If the skin lesions become infected, or the patient develops lesions in the lungs, it can result in death. In approximately 5 to 15 percent of the severe occurrences of SJS, the patient may die as a result. The patient’s skin literally burns from the inside out and often requires treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU) or a hospital’s burn unit.

Advil and Stevens Johnson Syndrome

SJS is almost always caused by a strong and severe allergic reaction to certain prescription drugs and common over-the-counter medications like Advil. While anyone can be diagnosed with SJS or TEN, it is more common in children and people of Asian or African-American descent. Some forms of the condition are more severe than others. However, the severe cases, like Lamar’s, tend to be caused by medications such as Advil.

In SJS cases involving ibuprofen-based products such as Advil, there is allegedly a lack of warning about possible severe allergic reactions. Without warnings and education about SJS symptoms, many adults and children ingest ibuprofen-based drugs, allowing for a simple skin problem to progress into SJS or TEN.

Advil SJS Lawsuits

While Advil packages warn of possible allergic reactions, patients who developed SJS or TEN after taking Advil have filed SJS lawsuits against Pfizer and Wyeth accusing the companies of failing to adequately disclose the likelihood of severe and dangerous side effects and skin conditions from Advil. The Advil SJS lawsuits further alleged that Pfizer and Wyeth suppressed information on the risks of Advil to the FDA and public.

The Advil SJS Lawsuit is Case No. 0:14-cv-04855-ADM-TNL, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.