• 02
  • February
    2011

New lawsuits have been filed against Roche Holding AG, maker of the popular popular acne medication Accutane, generically called isotrentin. Plaintiffs are claiming that the company failed to adequately warm patients about the risks of inflammatory bowel disease.

Accutane is a popular medication used for severe cases of acne. The medication contains multiple side effects, including dry skin, lips and mucous membranes, dry eyes, permanent hair thinning, nose bleeds, and birth defects if taken during pregnancy. More infrequently, the medication can cause raised blood glucose levels, erectile and libido dysfunction and fatigue. In rare cases, the medication may cause impaired night vision, menstrual irregularities, depression, psychosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Accutane was removed from the pharmaceutical market in 2009 due to the influx of generic forms of isotrentin, and because Roche was having to spend large sums of money defending itself from claims that Accutane was causing patients to develop inflammatory bowel disorder.

Thus far, six Accutane-related suits have yielded verdicts for plaintiffs, though one was overturned by an appeals court. One case yielded over $25 million in damages.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a potentially life-changing condition that can show up as either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. Syptoms of ulterative colitis are cramping, pain, diarrhea and bleeding, and symptoms of Crohn's disease include diarrhea, weight loss, anemia, and bleeding. In either case, patients may have to go through surgery to remove part of their large intestine.

Inflammatory bowel disease can be an embarrassing condition, which can affect various aspects of daily life. Oftentimes patients have to quit their job or reduce the number of hours they work.

Source

: Lawyers and Settlements, "Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Embarrassing Condition for Patients," Heidi Turner, 26 Jan 2011.