Accutane® Ulcerative Colitis Lawsuit
To find out if you qualify to recover compensation through an Accutane® ulcerative colitis lawsuit, contact our Accutane® side effect attorneys today.
Ulcerative Colitis and Accutane® Use
Thousands of people have filed lawsuits against Roche Pharmaceuticals for harm done by their anti-acne medication, Accutane®. The drug was approved in 1982 and taken off the market in June 2009 because its manufacturer said it was losing too much money. The lawsuits the company was losing plus generic versions of the drug were eating away at the company's profits.
Accutane® (isotretinoin) has been used by over 16 million people around the world since the drug was approved.
About 5,000 personal injury lawsuits have been filed against the company for harmful side effects caused by the drug. Among the most serious side effects is ulcerative colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
Ulcerative Colitis Signs & Symptoms
Ulcerative Colitis is a serious condition, one of two forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients usually go to the doctor with complaints of stomach pain, cramps, and persistent diarrhea. Persons with ulcerative colitis have a persistently inflamed digestive tract. Symptoms can extend from the colon to the esophagus.
- The primary symptoms of ulcerative colitis are:
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Diarrhea that is often bloody
- Fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
- Bleeding and pain of the rectum
- A feeling one needs to move the bowels, but cannot
Ulcerative colitis occurs in contiguous parts of the colon as opposed to occurring here and there as it does in patients with Crohn's disease. The most serious type of colitis, called fulminant colitis, is a life-threatening disorder. The entire length of the colon is inflamed, is distended and may rupture. Diarrhea is profuse and can lead to extreme dehydration and shock. Fulminant colitis is a rare condition, but extremely serious when it does occur.
Doctors used to think ulcerative colitis was due to stress, but today most believe the cause is some kind of infection that initiates an inflammatory response. Because the disease is more likely to occur in families, heredity is thought to play a role.
Lawsuits Against the Maker of Accutane®
Although the drug has been off the market since June of 2009, the long-lasting side effects are still harming patients. Lawsuits continue to be filed against the manufacturer. In New Jersey alone, the number of lawsuit filings has more than tripled since May 2010.
Six Accutane® lawsuits have reached a jury, and the drug maker lost all six. People who have suffered bowel problems from Accutane® are receiving millions of dollars in compensation from the drug maker. As an example, Roche was able to overturn a $2.6 million verdict in a 2007 trial in a New Jersey state court, but in a retrial the claimant subsequently received more than $25 million for the inflammatory bowel disease he suffered as a result of taking Accutane®.
If you have suffered ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease after taking Accutane®, you should seek compensation for your pain and suffering. Our Accutane® side effects attorneys offer free case evaluations.