Accutane Lawsuit

The popular acne medication Accutane (isotretinoin) has been precipitously pulled off the market in the U.S. and eleven other countries by its manufacturer, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG. According to Roche, it has pulled the drug off due to pricing issues forced by generic competitors.

It is also true; however, that Roche is facing over 5,000 lawsuits based on Accutane side effects that include inflammatory bowel disease. In November of 2008, three New Jersey residents were awarded $12.9 million in damages when a jury in a state court found that the company had failed to caution physicians properly about the potential side effects of Accutane. In April of 2008, a Florida jury made a similar award in excess of $10 million. To date, Roche has lost cases over Accutane side effects that total over $33 million in awards to the injured consumers, with virtually all of those financial awards involving severe gastro-intestinal problems caused by the drug.

Users blamed the drug for side effects which resulted in bowel diseases such as;

• Chron’s Disease
• Inflamattory Bowel Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis

The FDA has been involved in a series of warnings about Accutane and its generic competitors dating back to 2005, when it first alerted health professionals to possible suicidal thoughts or tendencies associated with the drug. In 2007, the FDA put up a special webpage to warn consumers about buying isotretinoin online. On the webpage was information about the drug’s link to birth defects and mental health problems.

With a product that faces stiff generic competition and has generated 5,000 lawsuits (to date) it appears that Roche has opted for the cautious course. However 13 million people have used the medication, so more lawsuits are likely in the offing.

If you have been diagnosed with either a form of bowel disease after having used Accutane contact us immediately and we will put you in touch with an experienced attorney who will provide you with a free, in depth review of your case.

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