Inflammatory Bowel Disease Leads to Accutane Lawsuits

There have over 3000 Accutane lawsuits brought against Hoffman-LaRoche, Accutane’s manufacturer, for its severe and sometimes fatal side effects. The risk of Accutane side effects is so great that the FDA named Accutane one of its top five most dangerous available drugs. On May 2, 2008, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that Accutane lawsuits are considered a mass tort, and consolidated the Accutane lawsuits in Atlantic County, NJ, under the guidance of the Honorable Carol E. Higbee. Accutane has been linked to conditions similar to vitamin A toxicity which appears to be dosage related. Scientific studies have suggested that Accutane adverse reactions could include: birth defects, depression, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis.

Lawsuits against Roche and Accutane have already cost the company over $50 million and, with the thousands of lawsuits pending in court; Roche is looking to settle as quickly as possible. In 2009 Roche pulled Accutane from the market, siting competition from generic brands and the mounting legal cost of fighting Accutane lawsuits as the reason for its withdrawal. Andrew McCarrell, 38, blamed the drug for his inflammatory bowel disorder. In May 2007, he filed an Accutane lawsuit after developing an extremely severe case of IBD. McCarrell needed to have his colon and most of his rectum removed.

Accutane warnings state that there is a small possibility that Accutane users will develop IBD. An FDA study reviewed 85 cases of Accutane users who developed IBD and concluded that there is a causal link between Accutane use and IBD. IBD causes inflammation in the stomach, mouth and intestines. IBD has also been linked to Accutane users who had no history of stomach or intestinal problems. IBD will not automatically stop with the discontinued use of Accutane. A serious case of IBD may require ongoing treatment. Ulcerative Colitis is when Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects the large intestine. Ulcerative Colitis causes inflammation and decay of the inner lining of the large intestine. Ulcerative Colitis causes the whole rectum and large intestine to become swollen leading to symptoms such as diarrhea (that may appear bloody) and abdominal pain.

Accutane IBD: Source of Pain and Litigation

Accutane Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the major concern patients have when learning about Accutane side effects of the acne drug Accutane. The prescription drug was pulled from the pharmaceuticals market in 2009 by its manufacturer, Hoffman La Roche, after a number of patients complained of serious side effects linked to the drug, many contacting Accutane lawyers in order to file suit against the drug makers. Many of the patients involved in Accutane litigation have filed suit because they suffer from Accutane inflammatory bowel disease, which can cause serious and life-altering symptoms and often affects the patient for the rest of his or her life.

Plaintiffs continue to consult Accutane lawyers and file Accutane lawsuits to this day, and now a petition is gaining ground on change.org, with signers urging Roche to "tell the truth" and "come clean" about inflammatory bowel disease related to Accutane. 

Courts Consistently Finding for Accutane Victims

Another Accutane Lawsuit is underway in New Jersey state court involving a plaintiff who allegedly suffered Accutane inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an acne medication sold by Roche. Priya Tanna accuses Roche of failing to adequately warn about the risks of taking Accutane. However, the drug maker argues that there was a 7-step warning process in place before Tanna was prescribed Accutane. In its statement, Roche said it believes that the evidence at trial demonstrated that Accutane did not cause Tanna's disease. "Roche acted appropriately in providing information to the medical, scientific and regulatory communities," the company said. A source said that Judge Carol E. Higbee of the Atlantic County Superior Court declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982, Accutane has been the subject of controversy for years. It first garnered attention in the late eighties for causing severe birth defects. It has also been known to cause psychiatric problems, and has been linked to hundreds of cases of suicide in the United States. Accutane has also been associated with problems of the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, and pancreas, as well as the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and autoimmune systems. In April, a New Jersey jury awarded $2 million in compensation to a woman who developed ulcerative colitis from Accutane. However, the same jury declined to award damages to two other plaintiffs involved in the same trial.

Roche has lost all seven Accutane cases that have been considered by juries since 2007, including the last three in a row. Following one 2007 trial in New Jersey state court, Roche was able to successfully overturn a jury’s award of $2.62 million in compensation awarded to a man who developed inflammatory bowel problems. However, that case was retried earlier this year and another New Jersey jury awarded the same man more than $25 million. Since then, Roche has begun to stop seeking retrials in many cases. Tanna’s is just one of over 6,000 cases currently involved in the New Jersey MDL.

Some Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease Lawsuits Remain Ambiguous

A number of patients of the acne drug Accutane have experienced serious side effects as a result of the drug, which have led a number of them to file lawsuits against the drug makers. Some lawsuits have already been decided but others are in a more ambiguous state. One of the most recent Accutane side effects trials that went to court in New Jersey was declared a mistrial, meaning that the case will have to be evaluated again in court. 

Lawsuit Over Accutane Bowel Problems is Transferred

Another Accutane lawsuit has been transferred to the multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Tampa, Florida. Amanda Jean Lausche and Ryan Eric Johnson both allege that they began experiencing stomach pain, which ultimately led to a diagnosis of the Accutane Side Effect, inflammatory bowel disease like hundreds of other Accutane users who were not. All of the suits involve allegations that side effects of Accutane, a popular acne medication developed by Roche, caused users to develop severe gastrointestinal problems. Plaintiffs allege that Roche and generic drug makers failed to adequately research the medication or warn about the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, which could include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The spike in Accutane claims filed in New Jersey comes on the heels of a court ruling there that found the statute of limitation for such lawsuit should be based on when plaintiffs discovered there could be a connection between the Accutane and their bowel disorder. IBD is comprised of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Ulcerative colitis can cause ulcers and inflammation in the large intestine, generally starting rectally and moving into the colon. Crohn’s disease usually affects the small intestine, but can occur in all portions of the digestive tract, including the mouth, stomach, and colon. Ulcers may go away without treatment, but often recur repeatedly.

Lawsuits over Accutane bowel disease have been filed by hundreds of individuals from across the United States. The complaints include allegations that the drug makers failed to properly test and research Accutane intestinal problems and failed to adequately warn about the risk of inflammatory bowel disease on Accutane. Millions of dollars in compensatory damages have been awarded by juries for individuals who have experienced Accutane inflammatory bowel disease, and attorneys are continuing to review new cases for individuals who have been diagnosed with problems. In November 2008, a New Jersey jury ordered Roche to pay $13 million to three plaintiffs. The prior April, another NJ jury awarded $10.5 million to a woman who blamed the drug for her ulcerative colitis. In May 2007, a NJ trial resulted in an award of $2.62 million to a patient requiring removal of his colon and most of his rectum after taking Accutane.