Dilantin Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Lawsuit Filed by Three People
Published: January 20th, 2011
A Stevens-Johnson syndrome lawsuit has been filed in Illinois against the makers of the epilepsy drug Dilantin, by two people who developed the debilitating skin reaction after taking the drug, and the family of a third person who died as a result of the condition.
The Dilantin lawsuit was filed last month in St. Clair County Circuit Court against the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, and its Parke Davis and Warner Lambert subsidiaries. Plaintiffs include Shirley Johnson, Michael Shepherd and the wife of John Taylor, who died from Stevens-Johnson Syndrome on December 31, 2009.
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, commonly referred to as SJS, is a painful and debilitating reaction that has been linked to side effects of Dilantin and several other medications. It can cause the skin to burn, producing blisters, severe rashes and the skin may begin to separate from the body.
When the skin lesions from SJS affect more than 30% of the body, the condition is typically referred to as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Treatment in a hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or Burn Unit is often required, and the conditions can be fatal in many cases.
Dilantin (phenytoin) is an antiepileptic drug manufactured by Pfizer. In November 2008, the FDA issued a warning about a potential risk of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome from Dilantin and Phenytek.
According to the recent lawsuit, Dilantin is the drug most associated with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, and the plaintiffs claim that Pfizer failed to warn consumers about the risks associated with the Dilantin side effects. A report in The St. Clair Record indicates that the plaintiffs allege that Pfizer told Health Canada that drugs containing Dilantin carried a substantially increased risk of adverse skin reactions when seeking Canadian approval of the drug Bextra, but did not put warnings on Dilantin.
Several different medications have been known to cause SJS and TEN, but new data suggests that Asian patients who have the HLA-B*1502 allele, could face a substantially increased risk when taking phenytoin (marketed as Dilantin, Phenytek and generics) or fosphenytoin sodium (marketed as Cerebyx and generics).
A blood test or genetic test can be used to identify the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele, HLA-B*1502, which occurs almost exclusively in people of Asian ancestry, with approximately 10-15% of people from parts of China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, carrying the allele.
In October, Pfizer reached a $3.78 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 9-year-old New York girl who died from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) from Dilantin.
Related Posts
- Generic Dilantin Lawsuit Filed Over Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Reaction (3/31/2011)
- Dilantin IV Purple Glove Syndrome Warning Needed: FDA Panel (11/5/2010)
- Dilantin Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Lawsuit Results in $3.78M Settlement (10/26/2010)
- Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Lawsuit Over Generic Dilantin Use Filed (5/20/2010)
- Stevens Johnson Syndrome Linked to Dilantin, Phenytek and Cerebyx (11/25/2008)
Comment by carolyn on 24 January 2011:
My daughter is now 44 years old. To God be the glory for the healing of the first episode of Steven-Johnson Syndromes in 1974, also recurrent of this reaction even later in her life. Most likely my daughter was the 1st patient who contact this severe reaction in Hampton, Virginia.
Comment by Christina on 1 February 2011:
My sister passed away the 4th of January 2011 and she was taking Dilantin and not sure but think she also received IV but only after past few months with taking this med. But her skin before she passed her hands were purple and she was so bruised and stayed sick flu like and headaches and she had blisters all over her body.
Comment by Summer on 22 February 2011:
My Dad died Feb. 4 2011 of TENS syndrome resulting from Dilantin prescribed to prevent seizures that could result from his stroke. Dad got 2 doses of Dilantin and within HOURS he went into organ failure. If I had KNOWN the complications assiciated with Dilantin we would have taken precautions. I can’t believe I’m reading this right now!! And I CAN’T believe hospitals aren’t obligated to disclose the risks associated with Dilantin! It breaks my heart that we could have stopped this!
Comment by sylvia on 28 April 2012:
I was placed on the medication Keppa , and medication cause serve liver damage. called a fatty liver with sircious