Lawsuit Is Filed Over Motrin for Children
The parents of a 7-year-old girl on Tuesday sued the maker of Children’s Motrin and several other companies that distribute the painkiller, saying the label on the over-the-counter drug should include a warning that taking the drug could lead to an allergic reaction they say caused the girl’s blindness.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Sabrina Brierton Johnson of Los Angeles, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against Johnson & Johnson, subsidiary McNeil Consumer & Specialty Pharmaceuticals and several other firms, including Kroger Co.’s Ralphs grocery chain and Albertsons Inc.’s Sav-on pharmacies.
In their suit, Kenneth and Joan Brierton Johnson accuse the defendants of negligence, breach of warranty, as well as concealing from consumers and doctors potential health risks of taking the flu and pain medication, specifically the risk of developing two disorders, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
“As the makers of Children’s Motrin products, we are deeply concerned with all matters related to our products, and we are investigating the situation,” said Bonnie Jacobs, a spokeswoman for McNeil, the maker of Motrin.
The company would not comment on the litigation, except to say that it was aware of the situation with the girl. Jacobs said the company was still getting a lot of information in and was unable to comment further.
According to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Sabrina took Children’s Motrin drops Sept. 8, 2003, after she came home from school complaining of a fever. The girl had no known drug allergies.
The next morning, the lawsuit alleges, she woke up with a high fever and other symptoms, including a pink coloration in her eyes and sores in her mouth. She was hospitalized, and a day later she was blind in both eyes. Doctors concluded that Sabrina had contracted Stevens-Johnson syndrome from taking Children’s Motrin, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint also alleges that the companies knew of a connection between the medication and the disorders from their clinical tests dating to the late 1980s.
The retailers that sold Children’s Motrin and another defendant, drug distributor Cardinal Health Inc., knew or had reason to know the drug had “design flaws,” the lawsuit claims.
Representatives of Sav-on and pharmaceutical distributor McKesson Corp., also a defendant, declined to comment, citing company policy against discussing pending litigation. Cardinal Health and Ralphs did not return calls seeking comment.
