Accutane News

Patients Accuse Accutane Maker Years after Stopping Drug

Posted on June 16, 2011

Thousands of patients are bringing lawsuits against Hoffman-La Roche, manufacturer of Accutane®, years after they stopped using the drug. Generic manufacturers of the medication are being targeted also.

The blockbuster drug Accutane® was reputed to cure recalcitrant cases of nodular and cystic acne that didn’t respond to other medications. And it did. The problem is that even after it was removed from the market in 2009, and even though people stopped using the medication years ago, they still are suffering ghastly side effects.

Thousands of people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, or other atrocious side effects of Accutane® are suing Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. for their suffering. Over a total of 3,268 lawsuits are being consolidated in the state of New Jersey against the manufacturer.

The majority of the lawsuits are against Hoffman-La Roche, but generic manufacturers are beginning to see their share of lawsuits as well.  Generic versions of Accutane® became available after the drug lost its patent protection in 2002.  Many patients switched to the generic form of the medication, and their numbers now are reflected in an increasing quantity of lawsuits being brought by this group.

The most recent plaintiff to win an award is Gillian Gaghan.  In April 2011 she received a jury award of $2 million when it found that her ulcerative colitis was caused by Accutane®.  She began having symptoms soon after she started the medication. She still suffers from pain, bloody diarrhea, inability to control her bowels during the night, and nausea. Doctors have determined she will need medical care for the rest of her life.

The highest award so far has been $25 million that was granted to a man who suffered IBD.

The patient had five surgeries, one of them to remove his colon.

For more information about bringing an Accutane® lawsuit against Hoffman-La Roche or a generic manufacturer, contact an Accutane® side effects attorney today.

Accutane Awards Top $45 Million and Growing

Posted on June 12, 2011

More than $45 million have been awarded to former Accutane® users for suffering caused by the powerful anti-acne drug. The largest amount given — $25.16  million — went to a man who used Accutane® (isotretinoin) for about four months when he was in his 20’s. In the ensuing years, the patient underwent five surgeries for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). One operation was to remove his colon.

The Alabama man, Andrew McCarrell, 38, charged the drug company Hoffmann-La Roche with failing to warn doctors and patients about Accutane®’s extreme potential side effects.  In fact, the drug maker has been accused of hiding information about the drug’s side effect since before it was introduced to the market in 1982.

McCarrell received the award in February 2010 from a jury in an appeals trial. The jury overturned a previous $2.6 million finding. Seven of nine jurors said La Roche did not properly warn patients and doctors about the drug’s possible critical side effects.

The most recent plaintiff to win an award is California nursing assistant Gillian Gaghan who received a jury judgment of $2 million for Accutane® -caused ulcerative colitis.

Hoffman-La Roche pulled the drug from the market in June 2009.  It cited mounting lawsuit judgments and competition from generic brands for causing the company to lose too much money.

IBD includes two types of illnesses — ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.  They both involve inflammation of the digestive tract.  The symptoms of the diseases are similar, differing mostly in the locations of the bowel affected.  Symptoms include pain, diarrhea, fatigue, skin lesions, failure to grow, unintended weight loss and bleeding from the rectum.

Accutane® also has been linked to serious birth defects, suicide and depression.

Nearly 3,300 lawsuits have been filed and consolidated in New Jersey and the number of people bringing lawsuits continues to grow.  About 9 percent of those are against generic makers of isotretinoin. None of the generic companies has yet been brought to trial.

For more information or to speak with an attorney, please contact an Accutane® side effects lawyer today.

Acne Drug Side Effects Range from IBD to Suicide

Posted on May 19, 2011

Accutane®, a powerful acne medication, was pulled from the market in June 2009 because its serious side effects were causing thousands of patients to sue its maker. Hoffmann-La Roche, the manufacturer of Accutane®, also cited the growth of competition from generic forms of the drug as a reason to stop selling Accutane®.

Accutane® was introduced to the market in 1982 and became a blockbuster drug for curing severe acne that no other medication could top. However, it was prescribed as the last drug of choice, after other medications failed to cure acne, because of its potentially dangerous side effects.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued numerous warnings over the years because of safety concerns about the drug. These side effects have included severe birth defects, suicide and depression, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease, plus many others.

Accutane® can cause extreme birth defects, premature birth, miscarriage and loss of an infant.  The FDA’s concern about the potential for birth defects in children of pregnant women using Accutane® resulted in the iPledge program. Under this program, before being able to get an Accutane® prescription, females of child-bearing age had to sign an agreement to use two forms of birth control and have monthly pregnancy tests.

The FDA also issued a warning about the potential for depression and suicide among Accutane® users.  Doctors and patients were told to be alert to any signs of suicidal thoughts, depression, extreme irritability and other symptoms.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is another adverse effect resulting from Accutane® use.  The disease exists in two main forms — ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.  These conditions both involve severe inflammation of the colon.  Surgery to remove all or parts of the colon is sometimes the only option for patients with IBD.

Many former Accutane® users suffer from these side effects and the steps needed to treat the disease for years or even a lifetime.

For more information, please contact us today. Our Accutane® side effect lawyers can help you seek compensation if you’ve suffered from a serious Accutane® side effect.

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