Recently, two large drug makers pulled a widely-used multiple sclerosis drug from the worldwide market, citing reports of liver problems and inflammatory brain disorder complications including encephalitis and meningoencephalitis.

Zinbryta, generically known as daclizumab and manufactured by Biogen and Abbvie, has been voluntarily recalled by the manufacturers due to mounting concerns about deadly side effects, namely including inflammatory brain disorder problems.

History of Zinbryta

Zinbryta was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis as recently as May 2016. It is taken once per month as a long acting drug, and the patient administers it to themselves via injection.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. It can be progressive and occurs more commonly in women than in men. It disrupts the ability of the brain to communicate with other parts of the body. In patients with MS, certain cells in the body attack the protective lining around the nervous system cells. Zinbryta reduces the activity in those attacking cells.

Zinbryta was approved to treat patients whose multiple sclerosis relapsed. Clinical studies showed that those who took Zinbryta had fewer multiple sclerosis relapses than patients who did not take the drug. But, because Zinbryta was associated with the possibility of liver problems and inflammatory brain disorder complications, only those patients who tried other MS drugs and did not see favorable results were encouraged to take Zinbryta.

Taking Zinbryta Off the Market

In March 2018, less than two years after Zinbryta was approved by the FDA, Zinbryta was pulled from the worldwide market by Biogen and AbbVie, the makers of Zinbryta.

Medscape reports that this announcement came on the same day that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued their own announcement that Zinbryta was the possible cause behind the inflammatory brain disorder problems of several European patients. Allegedly, seven patients in Germany and one in Spain reported inflammatory brain disorder problems like encephalitis and meningoencephalitis. The EMA’s announcement called for an urgent review of the MS drug.

Medscape reports, “Daclizumab was cleared for use in the European Union in July 2016. However, in June 2017, the EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) launched a review of daclizumab after the death, from fulminant liver failure, of a patient who was treated with the drug in an ongoing observational study, as well as four cases of serious liver injury.”

Essentially, Biogen and AbbVie decided that with the growing reports of both liver injuries and encephalitis and meningoencephalitis, serious inflammatory brain disorder conditions, they could no longer offer it to patients.

It is estimated that at least twelve patients have reported encephalitis or meningoencephalitis associated with Zinbryta. Three of those patients died, allegedly as a result of the multiple sclerosis drug.

Filing an Inflammatory Brain Disorder Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has taken Zinbryta and has suffered from an inflammatory brain disorder condition such as encephalitis or meningoencephalitis, you may benefit from speaking with an experienced attorney. He or she can help you weigh your legal options.

While monetary compensation cannot take away the pain and suffering associated with encephalitis or meningoencephalitis or bring a loved one back to life, it can help with the costs of lost wages and medical bills.