Daypro (oxaprozin) is a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) produced by Searle to treat osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Daypro has had one of the highest reported Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and Topical Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) rates of any other NSAID.

Garnering approval was a rocky road for Searle. Daypro was rejected three times for various reasons. One was that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) felt Daypro wasn’t any better than other arthritis drugs on the market. Another issue was that oxaprozin causes a number of adverse reactions. It was finally approved by the FDA in 1992, after a decade of attempts. In its first year, Daypro was blamed in four deaths. From 1993 to 1997, Daypro was found to be behind more skin reaction deaths than any other prescription NSAID available.

Daypro and Women

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is rare. According to the eHealthMe website, which looks at pharmaceutical information via FDA and social media sites, 1,904 people reported having side effects while taking Daypro, and of those, 22 have Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. It’s estimated that only 300 cases of Stevens Johnson Syndrome are diagnosed in the United States annually. The majority of those diagnosed with SJS are women. With Daypro, more than 80 percent of the SJS victims were women.

Due to the infrequency of SJS occurrences, few companies disclose the risk. DayPro, like many popular medications, does not include label warnings for the risk of SJS.

Understanding SJS

Stevens Johnson Syndrome is a specific type of allergic reaction, usually in response to medication or infection. Expressing initially as a rash with brightly colored skin lesions, SJS is often misdiagnosed, and scary.

SJS causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis. It also attacks the mucous membranes. Victims can suffer not only permanent scarring, but also eye complications including severe conjunctivitis, corneal blisters and holes, and vision loss. If not treated, it can lead to Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN). TEN’s lesions can cover up to 90 percent of a victim’s body and the condition is often treated in a burn ward.

Almost any drug can cause SJS. Often preceded by a viral infection, and accompanying flu-like symptoms, the allergic reaction may not occur until seven to 14 days after first using a medication. Treatments focus on controlling symptoms and minimizing complications, and if possible, discovering and eliminating the underlying cause.

Victims allege the manufacturers of these drugs were aware of the risks but did not inform the public. The risk of SJS is small, but still there, so a lawsuit investigation has been initiated to see if there is a possible class action lawsuit against the producers of Daypro and other drugs connected to SJS and TEN.