Currently, medical experts have recognized over 100 different drugs that can induce SJS disease, with health authorities requiring a number of them to include SJS warning signs on the label.

One such drug associated with Stevens Johnson Syndrome is Avelox (moxifloxacin), a popular quinolone antibiotic that is often prescribed to treat bacterial infections. Like most quinolones, Avelox works by stopping the growth of bacteria.

This drug was approved by the FDA on Nov. 10, 1999, with brand name Avelox manufactured by the Bayer Corporation. The quinolone antibiotic family has a long history in the pharmaceutical history of the United States as being the first all synthetic antibiotic family.

Avelox is a fourth generation quinolone, with the first generation developed in the 1960s. At the time, scientists had hypothesized that the complete artificial makeup of the drugs would allow for fewer side effects and lower the chances of bacterial resistance.

Avelox and other quinolones have proven to work sufficiently well in patients and has managed to comfortably keep up with competitors, but a number of them have been associated with serious side effects including SJS disease.

Overview of Avelox SJS Complications

At some point in time, the FDA released a warning document regarding the potential connection between Avelox and Stevens Johnson Syndrome. The FDA warning described some of the infamous Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms, with the focus being the “severe skin rash” or skin lesions.

With the red or purple skin lesions the most well known of the Stevens Johnson Syndrome symptoms, SJS disease can be potentially fatal if not promptly treated. The rash then causes the skin to detach and peel off. This exposes inner tissue and muscle to potential infection, further compounding the condition.

Typically, SJS skin lesions consume up to 30% of skin surface area, and can cause the mucus membranes of the body to swell including the eyes, lips, mouth, and throat.

In more severe cases the skin lesions can take up to 90% with other symptoms progressing at a much faster rate, in which case the disease becomes categorized as Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). SJS patients are typically treated in the burn units of hospitals to replenish lost skin, and often take weeks to months to fully recover.

Even if patients survive their ordeal, they often have to contend with some form of skin damage or degree of blindness.

Early symptoms of SJS begin with flu like symptoms, and will occur within the first few weeks of starting the medication. Potential SJS patients should report to doctors as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.

Furthermore, SJS patients may be eligible for legal action against the company for failing to protect them against the dangerous side effects of their drugs. Patients who have taken Avelox and have suffered from SJS or TEN can consult with an attorney at no charge to determine the legal options that are available to them.