If you have taken multiple sclerosis drug Zinbryta (daclizumab) and subsequently developed daclizumab encephalitis, liver problems or a serious skin reaction, you could be eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit investigation.

Pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Abbvie have voluntarily recalled Zinbryta, effective March 2, 2018. The drug will be available for patient use until April 30, 2018, but patients need to transition to another multiple sclerosis medication under the direction of their doctors.

Biogen and Abbvie decided to withdraw Zinbryta because a minimum of 12 cases of daclizumab encephalitis have been reported throughout the world since the drug went on the market two years ago. Three of the daclizumab encephalitis cases have resulted in fatalities.

The FDA approved Zinbryta (daclizumab) in May 2016. Even then, the drug was not indicated as a first line of defense. Zinbryta was usually prescribed after a multiple sclerosis patient failed to respond well to two or more other medications.

Daclizumab Encephalitis Among Dangerous Side Effects

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, progressive disease consisting of the body’s immune system attacking the sheaths of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms can include numbness, speech difficulty, loss of muscle coordination, blurred vision and fatigue.

Zinbryta, known generically as daclizumab, interferes with the immune cells that are doing the damage. When Zinbryta binds with the immune cells, the destructive activity of the cells is reduced.

Unfortunately, Zinbryta’s interference with the immune cells can come at a cost.

Daclizumab encephalitis is inflammation of the brain tissue. Bacterial or viral infections most often cause encephalitis, but the inflammation also can be the result of an immune system disorder. Flu-like symptoms can last two or three weeks, either continuing with equal severity or becoming progressively worse.

Daclizumab meningoencephalitis is inflammation of both brain tissue and the membranes surrounding the brain. Development of daclizumab encephalitis or meningoencephalitis are thought to be related to Zinbryta’s interference with the immune system’s cellular activity.

In addition to daclizumab encephalitis, Zinbryta patients have experienced liver inflammation, liver damage and liver failure.

Steven Johnson syndrome is another potential risk associated with Zinbryta. This condition is a severe skin reaction marked by large, painful fluid-filled pustules that form on the skin and mucous membranes. The incredibly painful condition has been likened to a chemical burn from the inside out and can be disfiguring, and even life-threatening.

Stevens Johnson syndrome can quickly progress to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), large sheets of skin to shed from the body. Painful, raw sores develop in the mouth and eyes. When large areas of raw skin are exposed, the chances of the patient developing infection, sepsis (blood infection) and death increase.

The FDA admits that since its approval, Zinbryta has had a “complex safety profile.” A black box warning indicates a risk of serious liver injury and other immune system problems are possible with Zinbryta, which is why it was recommended only as a potential remedy if at least two other MS drugs failed to work well.