Sabrina Brierton Johnson, a minor child of 7, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on December 29, 2004, alleging that Children’s Motrin, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, caused the allergic reaction known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Miss Johnson became blind and photosensitive as a result. Her complaint charges Johnson & Johnson with negligence, breach of express and implied warranties, and deceit by concealment.

Defendants names in Ms. Johnson’s lawsuit include McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals, McKesson Corporation, SAV-ON Drug Stores, Inc., and Ralphs Grocery Company.

On September 8, 2003, Miss Johnson, then age 6, was given Children’s Motrin after complaining of a fever. After two doses of the drug given at intervals specified on the label, she was rushed to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, with a high fever, a redness of the sclera(white of the eye), a sore throat, and a rash that covered her back, trunk, and other parts of her body.

Within another twenty-four hours her eyes could only be forcibly opened by an ophthalmologist, causing her excruciating pain. By November, Miss Johnson was completely blind. It was discovered that she was suffering the adverse skin reaction known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. She continues to suffer ongoing medical problems and has undergone nearly 20 surgeries to attempt to correct her vision.

Miss Johnson alleges that the defendants knew of the high risk to consumers and users of Children’s Motrin after the completion of a clinical trial, used as the basis for the FDA’s approval of the drug, proved that there were cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome but they were misrepresented.

Source: “Lawsuit: Children’s Motrin Caused Blindness,” Associated Press, December 28, 2003.