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.
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