Burn Center Statistics Link Dilantin to Stevens Johnson Syndrome

As rare as Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is, it has been found that more than 20% of these cases are found to be in conjunction with the antiepileptic drug Dilantin.  Many of these cases develop into the more severe form, Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), which further decreases survival chances.

Dilantin is one of the most popular antiepileptic drugs in the United States, and has been marketed by Pfizer and its previous owners since 1936. A study that included 15 American burn centers showed that 20% of TEN and SJS cases were caused by Dilantin, with one in four cases resulting in fatality. Over the years, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against Pfizer and Dilantin’s manufacturing division, McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Several have made it to court, telling the jarring tale of the victim’s struggle, and how the attack was so unexpected. Several Dilantin SJS lawsuits that have been filed in the United States include:

• May 2006: Parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Pfizer and McNeil after their 9-year-old daughter developed TEN, and later died from it.  The family claimed that Pfizer knew about this Dilantin side effect, but had not warned them or their doctors. A New York court ruled in favor of the plaintiff. Pfizer will have to pay a $3.78 million the family.

• January 2011: Plaintiffs filed a Dilantin class action lawsuit against manufacturers Pfizer, Parke Davis and Warner Lambert, over their developments of Stevens Johnson Syndrome.  The Dilantin class action lawsuit stated that “post-marketing databases confirm that serious skin reactions have been reported in patients receiving Dilantin drug products…including the US-FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.”  The lawsuit further alleges that the manufacturers knew of these side effects, but failed to mention them on the drug’s label.  This lawsuit is still ongoing.

• March 2011: An SJS lawsuit was filed against the generic Dilantin manufacturers: Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries, Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Hospira, UDL Laboratories and Mylan Pharmaceuticals and their subsidiaries.  The SJS lawsuit claimed that the plaintiff and other had suffered from SJS and TEN from taking generic Dilantin.  The lead plaintiff, Charles Henderson of Georgia, was one of the victims who developed SJS and TEN. He notes that there have been more than 1,000 SJS cases from Dilantin, which resulted in at least 139 deaths.

Despite the amount of Stevens Johnson Syndrome cases linked to Dilantin, there is no explicit warning on the medication’s label.  The FDA acknowledged in 2008 that there is a link between Dilantin and SJS and TEN, but have yet to insist that Pfizer update the label.

Overview of Stevens Johnson Syndrome Complications

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an extreme, allergic skin reaction which is caused by ingesting one or more medications.  Its more severe latent form, Toxic Epidermal Necorlysis, has the same cause, but is much harder on the patient.  Both conditions involve purple and reddish spots that appear all over the surface area of the body. The lesions cause literal skin breakage and removal, creating a burn-like injury.  Flu-symptoms are normally the starting points for these conditions, and normally appear within the first two weeks. Due to the nature of these injuries, patients are normally treats in the same unit as burn patients, and receive similar treatment.  Stevens Johnson Syndrome is an extremely rare reaction, with approximately only 300 cases diagnosed per year in the United States.

File a Dilantin Class Action Lawsuit Claim

If you believe that you or a loved one have been the victim of a Dilantin Steven Johnson Syndrome injury, you have legal options.  Please visit the SJS Lawsuit: Dilantin Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) Class Action Lawsuit Investigation.  There, you can submit your claim for a free legal review and if it qualifies for legal action, a seasoned Dilantin lawyer will contact you for a free, no-obligation consultation.  You will be guided through the litigation process at no out-of-pocket expenses or hidden fees.  The Steven Johnson Syndrome attorneys working this investigation do not get paid until you do.