In addition to being hit with claims that their anti-seizure drug Dilantin may cause patients to suffer from permanent cerebellar brain atrophy, pharmaceutical company Pfizer has also faced accusations that the corporation engaged in pricing abuse and excessive pricing for their drugs.

In December 2016, the UK Competition and Markets Authority fined Pfizer for excessively overpricing their epilepsy treatment drug Dilantin. Dilantin, the brand name for phenytoin, is a drug meant for controlling seizure activity in patients with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. At the time of the fine, Pfizer was engaging in a complex scheme to make incredibly high profits off of this drug at the expense of patients. Pfizer transferred its marketing authorization to a middleman to sell the drug with a new name and at an inflated price.

According to USA Today, after public and regulatory backlash, Pfizer was fined for this practice. However, the company is still facing allegations that Dilantin may, in fact, be a dangerous drug, leaving patients with long-term defects and health problems. According to doctors, patients, and studies, long term use of Dilantin may result in cerebellar atrophy, or the degradation and death of parts of the brain.

What Health Problems Are Being Linked to Dilantin?

A Dilantin case study suggests that long-term use of the epilepsy medication may lead specifically to permanent focal cerebral atrophy. Doctors reported a case of a 38-year-old man admitted to a hospital after he lost full control of bodily movements as well as becoming confused and agitated. The patient was taking Dilantin (phenytoin) for seizures over a 10-year period. One month prior to admission, he had two generalized convulsions and was told to take twice the amount of Dilantin to treat it for one day, the study said.

According to the treating physicians, the patient’s family inadvertently continued to give him a double dose of Dilantin for two to three weeks and his health condition worsened. The admitting doctors said that upon admission the patient showed symptoms of overall brain dysfunction (encephalopathic) and a brain scan showed the patient had a mild generalized cerebral atrophy as well as cerebellum atrophy.

After one month of treatment, physicians report the patient had marked improvement although still slightly impaired with memory loss. Doctors followed up with the patient six months later with a brain scan that showed unchanged mild cerebral atrophy but the cerebellar atrophy was now severe.

The treating physicians, in this case, refer to several instances in which long-term use of Dilantin led to cerebellar atrophy which they suggest indicates the medication may be toxic to cerebellar neurons. They also state that treating this 38-year-old for Dilantin intoxication may indicate the drug could cause irreversible cerebellar atrophy.

What is Dilantin Focal Cerebral Atrophy?

Cerebral atrophy refers to the overall shrinkage of brain tissue, which means a loss of neurons and the connections between them. With cerebellar atrophy, patients lose the function of movement, including balance, speech, posture, and coordination.

Patients with Dilantin focal cerebral atrophy symptoms show the following:

• Slurred speech
• Slow speech
• Nystagmus (small, rapid movements in the eyes)
• Impaired coordination in the trunk or arms and legs
• Frequent stumbling
• Unsteady gait
• Trouble eating and performing other fine-motor tasks
• Headaches
• Behavioral or personality changes
• Dizziness

Dilantin Cerebellar Atrophy Study

According to Science Direct, in a study published in Brazil, researchers studied epilepsy patients taking Dilantin for longer than two months in order to analyze their cerebellar volume. According to their findings, researchers concluded that some Dilantin patients showed focal cerebral atrophy.

Out of that group, nearly half had moderate atrophy, nearly half experienced mild atrophy, and some had severe atrophy. Researchers concluded that patients taking Dilantin for longer periods of time may have an increased risk of developing focal cerebral atrophy.

Dilantin Cerebral Atrophy Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

Although Dilantin is widely prescribed to treat seizures, long-term use of the medication may lead to focal cerebral atrophy, an issue that led to a class action lawsuit investigation.

If you took Dilantin and experienced severe side effects, contact an attorney to find out if you have a legal claim. Victims who have suffered from cerebellar atrophy after taking Dilantin may have a legal claim. Hiring an attorney and filing a class action lawsuit may be the first step towards pursuing compensation for pain and suffering, injuries, and medical expenses related to brain damage from cerebellar atrophy.