Understanding Accutane Settlements and Jury Verdicts

If you have suffered negative side effects from prescription drug Accutane, informing yourself of the facts surrounding the ongoing Accutane litigation is essential. Lawsuits can be resolved through a settlement or a jury verdict, and it is important to understand the difference.

Accutane Lawsuits So Far

Thus far, more than 1,000 Accutane lawsuits have been filed across the nation since the acne treatment medication was withdrawn from the U.S. market in July 2009. Accutane has been linked to severe gastrointestinal side effects such as ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

As of August 2010, six of these lawsuits have reached a trial and received a verdict. A jury verdict was decided in all six, in favor of the plaintiff. So far, Swiss drugmaker Roche, the manufacturer of Accutane, has paid more than $50 million in damages to former Accutane users who filed suit.

Accutane Trial Trends

If Roche had reached a settlement with the plaintiffs mentioned above, they almost certainly could have saved themselves a lot of money. The damages imposed by jury verdicts have been high and have attracted a lot of media attention. In one instance, a Florida jury awarded an Accutane plaintiff $25 million. In this much-publicized case, Roche appealed the decision, which the judge decided to uphold. If Roche had settled out of court they could have avoided a costly lawsuit as well as numerous mentions in the news. However the lawyers defending Roche felt confident that they could win, and by doing so hoped to set a precedent that would work to their benefit for future Accutane trials. Instead, they have argued and lost in six successive trials and it has cost them dearly.

How an Accutane Jury Verdict Works

When an Accutane lawsuit reaches trial, the court will make a decision either in favor of the plaintiff (the individual or people who filed the lawsuit) or in favor of the defendant (in these cases, Accutane manufacturer Roche). When the court declares the plaintiff the winner of the case, the defendant may be required to compensate the plaintiff for damages suffered, normally in the form of a specific sum. A jury verdict may be appealed to a higher court by the losing party if they feel that they have just cause for an appeal, such as judicial error.

How an Accutane Settlement Works

Once a lawsuit has been filed, the defendant and the plaintiff may decide to negotiate outside the courtroom and agree upon a settlement sum. An out-of-court settlement may be reached during pre-trial proceedings, such as consolidation for MDL (multi-district litigation) or even while the case is being tried. Typically a settlement will consist of monetary compensation paid to the plaintiff by the defendant, and if a settlement is reached then the plaintiff agrees to release the defendant from the lawsuit and any further liability.

Possibilities for Accutane Plaintiffs

Roche may have had enough of being on the losing side of Accutane trials. In May 2010 the pharmaceutical company reached an Accutane settlement with a plaintiff in Illinois. The man in this case had filed a lawsuit against Roche after being stricken with severe Accutane side effects. The terms of his settlement were not announced, but the fact that a settlement took place sends an important message: it may now be easier for other Accutane victims to obtain a settlement of their own.

Accutane: the Suicide Pill

The decision to take Accutane is a very tough one. On one hand, the drug has been effective at treating even the worst cases of acne. On the other hand, it carries a possible connection with severe depression, and even suicide. This makes the decision to take drugs containing isotretinoin, like Accutane difficult. If you, or someone you know, has severe acne, and nothing has worked for you so far, then you may be faced with this difficult decision.

Some Severe Side Effects

The list of severe side effects from Accutane is staggering. It includes, but is not limited to:

• Injuries less likely to heal
• Infections
• Impetigo
• Paronychia
• Liver Damage
• Birth Defects
• Severe Depression
• Suicide

However, this is not the complete list. Some more less severe side effects include:

• IBD
• Crohn’s disease
• Eczema
• Muscle Pain
• Sunlight sensitivity
• Nails that are brittle
• Skin dryness
• Menstrual issues
• Violent actions
• Allergies

That is quite the list of side effects. All of them should be read and understood before taking the drug.

The Worst Side Effect

Easily the worst side effect that Accutane has, suicide due to Accutane, has already claimed lives.
Studies have shown that Accutane and other drugs like it can greatly increase the risk for suicide. The most famous case, and most famous death due to suicide from Accutane is that of young B.J. Stupak. He ended his own life with a gun shot. His father, a congressman, launched a massive investigation into Accutane. His investigation found that Accutane may seriously increase the risk for severe depression which leads to suicide.

His investigation also uncovered an FDA memo highlighting the risk between taking Accutane and birth defects. The FDA questioned taking Accutane off the market for that very reason. Perhaps if they would have gone through with taking it off the market, they would have saved lives.

Accutane Lawsuits Finally Reach Court

After months of delay, the Accutane lawsuits of plaintiffs Kelley Andrews, Gillian Gaghan, and James Marshall are set to begin in New Jersey. Although only a few of the thousands of plaintiffs who have filed suit due to Accutane-related side effects are represented in this trial, it is notable in that it is testing the waters, so to speak, for future trials.

Accutane is a powerful acne medication that was often prescribed in severe cases when antibiotics and topical ointments weren’t doing the trick, but it was pulled from the market by its manufacturer, Hoffman-La Roche, in 2009. The recall was allegedly due to competition from generic products, but Hoffman-La Roche was already being flooded with lawsuits due to the side effects associated with the medication. Among these were those filed by Andrews, Gaghan, and Marshall – the three plaintiffs are all filing suit because they suffer from inflammatory bowel disease that they believe comes from Accutane. Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Although the trial was originally scheduled to take place last fall, it was delayed after a New Jersey appeals court reversed a decision that would have awarded plaintiff Kamie Kendall $10.5 million. Kendall’s colon was removed due to Accutane side effects. The reversal came when a judge determined that Hoffman-La Roche was not given a fair opportunity to present data on the total number of people who have used Accutane during the trial. A retrial is due to take place, with jury selection set to begin in May.

Although the cases are all different, the three plaintiffs in this trial have something in common – they have suffered due to a medication that was meant to improve their lives. Marshall was an aspiring actor, who had a role in A Few Good Men shortly before he had to have his colon removed. Gaghan developed lupus as a result of her IBD treatment. Each of these plaintiffs deserves to have their say in court.

Accutane Cases Settled Out of Court

Hoffman-La Roche, the manufacturers of now-defunct acne drug Accutane, have claimed that the removal of their product from the market was caused by competition from generic products, but evidence points to something else entirely – the multitude of lawsuits filed by former patients of the drug that claim serious side effects such as bowel disease as a result of taking the medication. Other complaints include an increased risk of suicide as well as birth defects.

Each of the lawsuits that have gone to trial against the corporation have turned out with the juries siding with the plaintiff, meaning that the victims of the serious side effects of the drug have been receiving settlements to benefit them after whatever ordeal they may have suffered because of the medication. For example, hairdresser Kamie Kendall won a settlement of $11 million after she claimed that Accutane, which she had been prescribed at age 12, had caused her to develop ulcerative colitis.

An unnamed plaintiff was awarded $2.25 million when her child was born with severe heart defects caused by the drug, and the family of a teenage boy who had been prescribed Accutane settled with the company out of court after alleging that his prescription had contributed to the circumstances surrounding his Accutane-related suicide. The lawsuits against the company claim that Hoffman-La Roche marketed and sold its product with at least some knowledge that it could cause bowel diseases, birth defects, and contribute to psychiatric problems but neglected to inform either patients or doctors about these risks.

Despite the fact that the drug has not been on the market since it was pulled in 2009, the court system is still overwhelmed by lawsuits against the medication that are still awaiting either trial or settlement. Many of these suits will go to trial in 2011.

Verdicts in Accutane Lawsuits Favor Plaintiffs

There have been many Accutane side effects lawsuits filed against Roche, the Swiss drugmaker responsible for the acne-fighting medicine. Early reports made public some of the Accutane settlements, and helped speed Accutane’s removal from pharmacy shelves across the United States. Lawyers with experience handling Accutane lawsuits will most often take into consideration the fact that the claim may be settled out of court. Thus far, Roche has faced a series of losses in the courtroom. The verdicts handed down by juries have consistently been in favor of plaintiffs, and the defendant has been required to make several considerably large payments to compensate plaintiffs for pain and suffering related to Accutane side effects. Those individuals currently awaiting trial for their Accutane lawsuits should be optimistic about their chances of receiving fair compensation from Roche.

Accutane’s Many Serious Side Effects Come to Light

Accutane, which was introduced in the 1980s, is a remarkably effective treatment for individuals struggling with acne. However it also has been found to produce serious side effects in many users, leading to its discontinuation in America in June of 2009. Roche, the Swiss manufacturer of Accutane, stated that their decision to withdraw Accutane from the U.S. market was a direct effect of the costs involved in defending against Accutane side effects lawsuits.

Even though Roche withdrew Accutane, there are still several generic forms of the same drug that continue to be available. All versions of this medication are capable of producing severe side effects that can endanger the health and life of consumers. It’s no surprise that numerous lawsuits have been filed as a result. Some of these are still pending, while others have been settled before reaching trial.

A research study first published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology reported that Accutane use leads to quadruple the risk of developing ulcerative colitis. This same study also linked increased doses of Accutane to increased risk of contracting a serious inflammatory bowel disease. It has been effectively determined that there is a direct causal relationship between Accutane and bowel disorders.

In February 2010, Health Canada advised caution to all Accutane users based on multiple reports of serious skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which is known to be fatal in some cases. Health Canada referred to 66 different reports of severe skin conditions resulting from Accutane use. Two of these 66 were fatal.

Most Recent Accutane Lawsuit Reports:

• May 2010: Jason Peipert, a former Accutane user, claimed that he had contracted severe inflammatory bowel disease (or IBD) brought on by Accutane consumption. His lawsuit was settled before reaching trial when Mr. Peipert agreed to a settlement offer from Roche Laboratories.
• Early 2010: A New Jersey jury awarded $25.6 million, the largest Accutane compensation sum to date, to conclude the Accutane trial of plaintiff Andrew McCarrell. Mr. McCarrell now has no colon. It had to be removed after he endured five separate surgeries for bowel disorders stemming from his past Accutane use.
• There have been almost 1,000 separate Accutane lawsuits filed, and there are consistent allegations across the board that the manufacturer failed to provide appropriate warning to users about the serious side effects associated with Accutane. In the majority of these cases, it has been decided that Roche was indeed negligent, and the drugmaker has been held financially responsible.
• To date, Roche has been ruled against in every Accutane lawsuit related to bowel disease that has gone to trial. The amount Roche has been ordered to pay to plaintiffs is more than $56 million.

Nevertheless, any responsible Accutane lawyer will caution that past performance is not always an accurate indicator of future events. But it can be safely said that the plaintiffs of many Accutane lawsuits have presented cases that have moved juries to rule in their favor in record-high compensation sums.

Accutane Lawsuits to Reach Trial in 2011

Roche, the manufacturer of prescription drug Accutane, is expected to have a trying year. They face various lawsuits which will be coming to trial soon. The State Court of New Jersey is preparing to hear several cases in 2011 which all concern the dangerous side effects of Accutane. Seven such cases have already been tried in New Jersey, and Roche lost every single one. In some of the cases, however, the verdict was overturned following an appeal, with the lawsuits involved being retried or scheduled for retrial.

New Jersey Home to Thousands of Accutane Lawsuits

Right now approximately 2,500 Accutane lawsuits are pending in the State Court system of New Jersey. It has been determined that in 2011 Judge Carol E. Higbee of Atlantic County will hear these cases, which have been centralized into a single Mass Tort. The allegations common to every individual lawsuit are that Roche failed to give sufficient warning to users and their doctors with respect to the severe side effects Accutane use can entail. Furthermore, there are claims that Roche had knowledge of said side effects, but deliberately omitted this information from patient brochures until the drug had already been on the market for years. Among the side effects are potential bowel disorders such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In 2010, three Accutane lawsuits that were awaiting trial in New Jersey were deferred until a later date after several verdicts against Roche were overturned by an appellate court. One of the plaintiffs affected by this postponement is American actor James Marshall. Along with his case, two others were delayed as a result of the appellate court’s ruling: Gaghan v. Hoffman-La Roche, Inc., and Andrews v. Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. These two lawsuits are now scheduled to be heard concurrently with Marshall’s lawsuit.

As Accutane Trials Draw Near, Roche Faces a Difficult Year

Switzerland is the home of pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche; however its U.S. base is located in New Jersey. The headquarters of the Roche department in charge of Accutane production and manufacture are located in Nutley, New Jersey. The entirety of the Accutane lawsuits awaiting trial at this time shall be heard in the State Court of New Jersey.

Though 2011 is expected to be a particularly challenging year for Roche, it is doubtful that their difficulties will end in just twelve months. There are vast numbers of former Accutane consumers who believe they have just reason for initiating a lawsuit against Roche. Only in time will it become known precisely how many patients suffered damages as a consequence of Accutane use, and how many of those victims will decide to file lawsuits against Roche.

Serious Side Effects from Accutane Lead to Lawsuits

More than 13 million U.S. citizens used acne treatment medication Accutane before its 2009 recall. Frequently, users experienced Accutane side effects such as headache, nosebleed, and dry lips, among other similar symptoms. However Accutane did provoke much more serious side effects in some users, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Currently there are more than 1,000 Accutane lawsuits making their way through the U.S. court system, and if you are a former Accutane consumer negatively affected by the drug’s side effects, it’s not too late to file a lawsuit of your own.

Accutane’s Life-Altering Side Effects

It was known for years that isotretinoin, the active compound in Accutane, causes grave birth defects in babies if consumed by a pregnant patient. In the last decade it has also been established that Accutane brings about serious gastrointestinal side effects as well. The American Journal of Gastroenterology published a study in March 2010 that proved that Accutane users had a 4 times greater chance of coming down with ulcerative colitis than non-users. The findings of this study were corroborated by several other studies. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are both critical inflammatory bowel conditions. Ulcerative colitis is permanent in some cases, and can also lead to removal of the colon.

Accutane Retired, but Not Recalled

Actually, Accutane was never officially recalled by the FDA. The manufacturer of Accutane, Swiss-based company Roche, volunteered to withdraw Accutane from the market in the United States and 11 additional countries in June 2009. They cited economic concerns as the motivation for this decision, which were likely due to pressure from the many generic forms of isotretinoin as well as the considerable resources Roche was pouring into the Accutane lawsuits. Some theorize that Roche pulled their medication in order to avoid an actual recall ordered by the FDA. But in August 2010, about one year after Roche’s voluntary recall, the FDA published a statement that it had no intention of recalling the generic forms of Accutane in the near future. Today isotretinoin is widely available and can be acquired under the brand names Claravis, Sotret, and Amnesteem.

Accutane Lawsuits and Settlements

Thus far, more than 1,000 Accutane lawsuits are underway in the United States. As of August 2010 only six of these had received a trial and a verdict, and in all six cases it was decided in favor of the plaintiff. As of press time, it was reported that Roche has paid more than $60 million in total compensation to victims. In a particularly important decision, Roche was ordered to pay $25 million to a sole plaintiff in Alabama whose colon had had to be removed as a direct result of Accutane side effects. There are many other individuals with equally legitimate claims against Roche, and it is highly likely that the payouts and settlements will total millions more.

Accutane Litigation Eligibility

Accutane was a popular acne medication that helped many people with severe acne who did not respond so effectively to treatments such as antibiotic pills and topical ointments. However, it was voluntarily pulled from its circulation in the US pharmaceuticals market in 2009, allegedly due to generic competition from similar products. However, the number of lawsuits pouring in from consumers who have experienced severe side effects from Accutane has led some critics to raise eyebrows at the medication as well as the corporation’s lack of warnings to consumers regarding their product.

Over 2,500 lawsuits against Roche, the Swiss manufacturer of Accutane, have already begun litigation, meaning that the cases are already at some stage in the state or federal court system. Some of the lawsuits have already been decided, either by a jury or by an out-of-court settlement, and Roche has paid $60 million in settlements to various victims of the side effects of their product. Although there is no guarantee what kind of payoff a plaintiff will receive for his or her suffering, one man filed a lawsuit against Roche due to side effects he had suffered and received $25 million from the corporation after a jury decision in his favor. Other plaintiffs have received smaller sums, but most of them are significant – every jury decision in the plaintiff’s favor has netted them at least $5 million.

All of the winning lawsuits so far have been related to gastrointestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease, all of which Accutane has been definitively linked to. However, the drug is suspected to cause other side effects such as birth defects, depression, and thoughts of suicide. Since these things cannot necessarily proven, people who are considering filing suit against the company should consult with a lawyer who has worked with Accutane lawsuits in order to determine if they have a case.

Accutane Plaintiffs Win Awards in Court

James Marshall, Andrew McCarrell, and Adam Mason are not names that you may know, but they are involved in cases that may shape the outcomes of many people’s lives – they are three men who have filed suits against Roche, the manufacturer of the acne medication Accutane, and two of these men have won significant settlements from the company, possibly shaping the outcomes of future lawsuits.

James Marshall was an aspiring Hollywood actor, snagging parts in Twin Peaks, A Few Good Men, and Gladiator before he was forced to have his colon removed due to inflammatory bowel disease. His case is on hold due to the retrial of a similar Accutane-related lawsuit in New Jersey. Andrew McCarrell initially won $2.62 million from Roche in 2007 after Accutane left him needing five surgeries and a removed colon, but the drugmaker appealed the decision and won. McCarrell, a computer programmer from Alabama, was allowed a retrial in 2010 and won a final settlement of $25.16 million. Adam Mason’s case was also appealed by Roche, but he ended up netting $7 million in damages after developing Crohn’s disease after being prescribed Accutane in 1991.

Accutane was a heavy-duty acne medication, used in the treatment of acne that was not helped by other methods such as ointments and antibiotics, that was pulled from the shelves in 2009 – purportedly due to generic competition, but evidence points towards the increase in the reports of side effects associated with the medication, as well as the many Accutane lawsuits the company is now being forced to deal with. Unfortunately, Marshall, McCarrell, and Mason are not the only people who have suffered because of Accutane, but thanks to the lawsuits that have achieved settlements for their plaintiffs due to their pain and suffering they have endured as well as medical costs and losses in their income.

Accutane Settlements & Awards in Excess of $50 Million To Date

As it stands now, Roche, the Swiss drugmaker responsible for Accutane, has not yet made public any settlement amount related to the numerous lawsuits filed against them. This fact does not preclude the possibility of individual plaintiffs having reached out of court settlements with Roche. Indeed, many victims of the grave side effects Accutane is known to produce have been awarded substantial compensation by way of a court decision. In actuality, the first seven lawsuits that did reach a trial have obtained more than $50 million in payments for damages suffered. This works out to an average of $7 million apiece.

Most Significant Accutane settlements and jury awards

$25.16 million—Andrew McCarrell of Alabama, a computer programmer and former Accutane user, received the largest award thus far after Roche chose to appeal a previous award of $2.62 million. Atlantic City, New Jersey is home to the court where McCarrell filed his lawsuit. The court’s decision in his lawsuit became so well publicized that it motivated hundreds of other erstwhile Accutane users throughout the United States to bring their own lawsuits against manufacturer Roche.

$7 million—As a result of ongoing Accutane use in the 1990s, Adam Mason contracted Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition. A Florida jury arrived at this amount after finding that Roche had made the hazardous side effects listed on the drug’s label appear less serious than they actually are. His considerable award consisted of $5 million for future pain and suffering, and $766,500 for pain and suffering already experienced. $110,000 was determined to be the amount of lost earnings, while $617,500 denotes lost future earning capacity. $387,500 of the grand total was apportioned for future medical expenses.

$10.5 million—In April 2008, Utah resident Kamie Kendall was meant to be awarded more than $10 million after an Atlantic City jury ruled in her favor. Kendall suffered bowel disease as a result of using Accutane. A court of appeals did overturn this decision when they learned that Roche was denied sufficient opportunity to share statistics connected with Accutane use. The case has been sent to retrial, and as a result the prominent Accutane lawsuit brought by actor James Marshall is also on hold. Each of these trials is also tied in with at least one other Accutane lawsuit filed in New Jersey. Additional people who have suffered dangerous side effects from Accutane are now closely following the case in anticipation of a jury award or pre-trial settlement.

$???—Jason Peipert was an Accutane user for fewer than six months in 1999, yet he was stricken with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as a result. He initiated a lawsuit against Roche in 2003, filing his case in an Illinois court. Finally, in early 2010, Roche and Peipert agreed to an out-of-court settlement with less than one month to go before the trial. The exact quantity he received for his Accutane settlement has not been disclosed.

Accutane: From Laudation to Lawsuit

It has been said that Accutane has the ability to clear and prevent acne more effectively than any other medication introduced to the market. Despite this fact, many now say that Accutane should never have been offered as a treatment for blemishes, since its slew of serious side effects clearly outweigh any benefits to the complexion. Accutane has been proven to severely damage the digestive tract and to cause birth defects in the unborn children of pregnant consumers. Faced with hundreds of lawsuits from patients who suffered these side effects, Roche (the manufacturer) finally issued an Accutane recall.

Accutane: The Good, The Bad

Accutane falls into the category of retinoids, indicating a derivative of vitamin A. Its skin-clearing ability is due to its effect of greatly reducing oil production in the skin’s sebaceous glands and other areas. Accutane, also known by its generic moniker Isotretinoin, passed muster with the FDA in 1982. From the beginning, it proved to be amazingly effective at treating and preventing acne, and it enjoyed an unprecedented 85 percent success rate. Numerous reports and praise calling Accutane a ‘miracle drug’ ensued. The man said to be responsible for its discovery, Dr. Gary Peck, received several acclaimed awards for his work.

Following close on the heels of praise and profits (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each year) were disturbing reports of “teratogenic” side effects, or side effects that cause malformation in embryos. Close to 30 percent of all pregnant women taking Accutane witnessed their babies born with birth defects as a result. Even more disturbing was the fact that many doctors were not performing adequate pregnancy tests before prescribing the drug to women.

Reducing Accutane Birth Defects

In order to fight the nightmare of Accutane birth defects, the FDA decided to create a program named iPLEDGE in 2006. This program spelled out regulations that required not one but two consecutive negative pregnancy tests for any female patient wanting a prescription for Accutane. In addition, women were obliged to promise that they would use two forms of birth control before they were allowed to begin taking the drug.

Other Accutane Side Effects Appear

There was no program or list of guidelines the FDA could come up with that could prevent the other side effects that resulted from taking Accutane. It was discovered that the quantities of the drug frequently prescribed by doctors were sufficient to alter the delicate chemical balance of the digestive system. In particular, a direct link between Accutane and gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBM), Crohn’s disease, and Accutane ulcerative colitis was proven by several studies. All of these conditions can lead to colon removal, which of course has a permanent detrimental effect on quality of life.

Accutane Recall

Ultimately, after selling more than 13 million prescriptions, drugmaker Roche initiated an Accutane recall and retired the drug from the market. According to the manufacturer, this action was due to economic reasons, which may be due fully or in part to the hundreds of Accutane side effect lawsuits that have been filed against them.

Depression: Accutane's Deadly Side Effect

Accutane's Deadly Side Effect

In a letter sent to doctors in February 1998, Roche Laboratories, makers of Accutane, warned that among the various side effects Accutane is known to produce in users, severe depression and suicide are known to occur. Accutane, a successful and popular acne treatment medication, had been on the market longer than 15 years at that point, and patients and dermatologists praised its ability to effectively clear serious acne.

In the letter it was stated: “Accutane may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide.”

Depression Linked to Accutane Use for Years

The information circulated by Roche in 1998 was anything but a recent discovery. Depression had long been a known side effect of Accutane, and had been included, although briefly, on the drug’s warning label since 1985. There are multiple side effects associated with Accutane use, and some others include ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and Crohn’s disease.

The FDA was not impressed with Roche’s letter to physicians. They had long been aware of the risk of Accutane depression, as evidenced by hundreds of complaints filed with the agency. It was obvious that the American public had a right to a stronger warning.

New Millennium Sees Reemergence of Accutane Depression Issue

Once again in September 2000, the FDA made public the link that exists between Accutane and serious depression. Before a meeting of the FDA’s Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drug Advisory Committee, medical experts declared Accutane use had been related to 147 suicides and hospitalizations brought on by depression between 1982 and 2000. Roche argued against those claims, stating that a much higher suicide rate would naturally occur in a group study.

While defending against accusations of Accutane depression and suicide, Roche had brought to light a troubling fact: Accutane was largely prescribed to teenagers, a portion of the general population particularly sensitive psychologically. Teens are already more susceptible to depression, and suicide is ranked third as the cause of teen deaths, behind car accidents and homicide. It has been proven that Accutane can worsen preexisting psychological issues.

Despite defending its product, Roche withdrew Accutane from the American market in June 2009. The company, which is based in Switzerland, did not release a statement referring to depression or any of the other well-known Accutane side effects. There was, in fact, no need to speak of the side effects or the recall: the damage had already occurred. More than 13 million prescriptions had been sold over the years, thousands of people had suffered from illnesses brought on by Accutane, and some had lost their lives.

Currently, there are thousands of Accutane lawsuits pending in the U.S. court system.

Accutane Troubles are More Than Skin Deep

Accutane was a prescription acne medication used for the treatment of severe acne that did not respond to other treatments such as antibiotics and topical ointments. It was pulled from the market by its manufacturer, Hoffman-La Roche, in 2009. Hoffman-La Roche cited generic competition as the reason behind the pulling of the product, but there are certain other factors in the Accutane lawsuit case that may also have fueled the recall.

Lawsuits have been pouring in from across the country for years, and Hoffman-La Roche has already paid millions of dollars in settlements to plaintiffs who are insisting that doctors and Hoffman-La Roche did not do enough in terms of warning patients about the risks of Accutane before actually prescribing it. In the case of one Alabama man whose intestinal problems from Accutane were so bad he was forced to have his colon removed, the company paid $25 million after an appeal in settlements to him.

Side effects related to Accutane are often intestinal in nature and include ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. It has also been associated with miscarriage and severe birth defects and problems with eyes, skeletal system, ears, and liver. Serious psychiatric problems have also been reported to be associated with Accutane, and some lawsuits involve patients or families of patients who either considered, attempted, or committed suicide.

Although nearly 50 million people in the United States suffer from acne, and it is the most common skin disorder in the United States, Accutane was meant to be prescribed only in severe cases – however, up to 90 percent of women and almost half of teens who were taking Accutane only had mild cases. About 13 million people were prescribed Accutane in total. It is not known how many lawsuits will go through the legal system before trials end, but it looks like it’s going to be an expensive few years for Hoffman-La Roche.