Accutane Lawyers Prepare to Battle out Cases

Thousands of Accutane lawsuits have been filed nationwide after an unprecedented number of Accutane patients developed serious side effects as a result of the medication, including bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Now, three cases are set to go to trial in October of this year, a move that will mark the beginning of the bellwether trials, trials that will likely influence the future of Accutane lawsuits and the possibility of Accutane settlements.

There are more than 5,000 Accutane lawsuits currently being dealt with in various stages of the legal process, and all Accutane lawsuits deal with Accutane maker Hoffman-La Roche, the Swiss manufacturer of brand name Accutane. Accutane is a drug that was discontinued in 2009 and was used prior to that to treat severe cases of acne, especially cases that were not treated successfully with other methods like antibiotics and topical ointments. Most lawsuits allege that patients were not adequately warned of Accutane side effects, which usually include varieties of inflammatory bowel disease but also encompass suicide, birth defects, and other serious afflictions.

Accutane Crohn’s Disease: Painful and Permanent

The two medical conditions seen most often in plaintiffs who have filed Accutane lawsuits are Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, two gastrointestinal disorders that can cause long-lasting complications for a patient. Ulcerative colitis is a bowel disease that causes inflammation in the lining of a patient’s rectum and colon. In many patients sores, or ulcers, also develop. Bleeding and pus, as well as the inflammation of the colon, result in chronic diarrhea and other painful complications.
Crohn’s disease is another inflammatory bowel disorder commonly cited in Accutane litigation. This takes place when the intestinal wall becomes inflamed. Accutane Crohn’s disease can be found in many parts of the digestive tract.

Trial History of Accutane Shows Mixed Results

More than 5,000 people are currently pursuing an Accutane lawsuit against Roche over severe bowel problems allegedly caused by the medication. The complaints involve allegations that the drug maker failed to adequately research their medication or warn users about the risk of debilitating Inflammatory Bowel Disease from Accutane, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. People often suffered from Accutane side effects years later after using the medication. It has been shown in recent studies that the suicide rate among Accutane users may be as high as 2 suicides per month. In addition, these suicides occur in healthy people with no signs of depression or suicidal thoughts before they started using this product. Despite efforts by the FDA in 1999 to warn users of suicide risk, Accutane suicide is climbing in numbers.