Dilantin Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Lawsuit Results in $3.78M Settlement

Pfizer Inc. has 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), which is a severe form of the skin reaction Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), allegedly caused by the child’s use of Dilantin and Flagyl. 

The toxic epidermal necrolysis lawsuit was filed by the family of Jesse Nichols Jacobson. The young girl was diagnosed with the rare skin condition after taking the two drugs, and died in June 2004.

Dilantin (phenytoin) is an antiepileptic drug manufactured by Pfizer. In November 2008, the FDA issued a warning that Dilantin and Phenytek carried a risk of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.

Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is a painful and debilitating reaction that has been linked to several 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 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.

Flaygl (metronidazole) is an antibiotic that also made by Pfizer, which has also been linked to an increased risk of SJS.

According to the plaintiffs, Pfizer has issued warnings in Canada and other countries that Dilantin has an increased risk of causing SJS and TEN in people with African ancestry. However, the company has not notified U.S. doctors of the risk or added the information to labels in the U.S.