Lawyersandsettlements.com; January 13, 2014
Toronto, Canada: Two drugs have recently been linked to a potentially fatal condition known as Stevens Johnson Syndrome. One of the drugs, capecitabine, was linked to SJS in a letter by Hoffman-La Roche and Health Canada (similar to the US Food and Drug Administration) following reports by the drug’s maker that Stevens Johnson syndrome symptoms had been seen in patients using the drug.
Capecitabine (Xeloda) is a drug used to treat certain cancers. In a Dear Healthcare Professional letter dated December 3, 2013, and sent out by the drug’s maker Hoffman-La Roche, with an endorsement by Health Canada, the pharmaceutical company noted that “very rare cases of severe cutaneous reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN), in some cases with fatal outcome, have been reported during treatment with XELODA.”
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