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.

Accutane Inflammatory Bowel Disease Harsh Blow to Roche

The makers of the controversial, banned acne drug Accutane have appealed a case they lost against plaintiff Kamie Kendall, who won $10 million after suffering Accutane inflammatory bowel disease. Roche went down a similar road back in 2007, with plaintiff Andrew McCarrell, who won over $2 million in his initial trial against the Swiss drugmaker. However, Roche appealed the case – as they are doing now with Kamie Kendall’s case – and ended up losing again. This time, the jury ruled that they should award McCarrell over $25 million – a staggering loss for the company, and a settlement that McCarrell surely never expected.

Despite Drug Manufacturers Protests, Accutane Settlements Rise

Accutane is a powerful acne medication manufactured by Hoffman LaRoche and the subject of an Accutane recall in 2009. According to scientists, Accutane has serious long term side effects including Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Although the acne medication was removed from the market in the United States in June 2009 amid concerns about an increased risk of those diseases, an official Accutane recall was not issued. There are currently nearly 3,500 Accutane lawsuits filed in New Jersey state court. The trial date set for October will involve several groupings of plaintiffs with similar facts and warnings in place at the time the medication was used.

Accutane Retrial Could Pose Problems for Plaintiff

Although the 2008 trial Kendall v. Roche won plaintiff Kamie Kendall a significant amount in damages, defense lawyers for the pharmaceuticals giant responsible for controversial acne drug Accutane were able to reverse the decision, leading to a future retrial for the case. This does not necessarily mean that Kendall will lose her case; in fact, such retrials have proven successful for plaintiffs such as Andrew McCarrell, whose Accutane win was appealed and the retrial granted him almost ten times more than the original amount he had been awarded.

IBD Does Major Harm to Accutane Users

Accutane side effects have been found to cause permanent damage to internal organs, such as the bowel or intestines. This has left many users with severe stomach and gastrointestinal problems that cause a great deal of pain and have a devastating impact on their quality of life. In light of the Accutane lawsuits being filed by families and patients, many people are wondering what extent Accutane manufacturer Hoffmann-La Roche went to in order to minimize the appearance of deadly and severe Accutane side effects. In addition to failing to readily disclose Accutane side effects to the FDA, Roche knew about the birth defects that could occur with Accutane and pregnant women years before ever getting the 1982 FDA approval. Despite this knowledge, the FDA and the Roche SMART program aimed at preventing fetal death and birth defects in women using Accutane was not implemented until 2000.

Patients of Acne Drug Would Rather Have Acne than Side Effects Like Ulcerative Colitis

The acne drug Accutane has been in media recently because of the often-severe side effects many patients of the now-discontinued drug have experienced. Accutane lawsuits have resulted from patients wanting to collect damages. One of the most common complaints patients have is the development of inflammatory bowel disease after beginning treatment with the powerful acne drug. Inflammatory bowel disease, which affects 1 million people in the United States, is somewhat mysterious in the medical community – experts are not sure of what causes it. There are two forms of inflammatory bowel disease – Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Accutane Linked to Suicide?

At first glance isotretinoin seems like a wonder drug. It is the main ingredient in Accutane, and gives the person using it clear and unblemished skin. However, the problem comes from the very serious side effects of Accutane.

The side effects of Accutane include the possibility of having severe depression, and going on to commit suicide. This makes the decision of whether or not you should take Accutane a very difficult one. List of Side Effects If you or your child has severe or stubborn acne, Accutane seems like the perfect choice because of the track record it carries. It is very good at eliminating all types of acne. However, the side effects that it carries are massive, and include: allergic flare ups, birth defects (if pregnant), Crohn’s disease, IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), damage to the live , Ulcerative Colitis, depression, and suicide. This drug affects all parts of the body, from digestion, to the liver, to even the brain. However, that isn’t the entire list. Those suffering from these side effects should contact an experienced Accutane lawyer immediately.

Second Ever Accutane Lawsuit Wins $2.6M

Accutane lawyers are anxiously awaiting Kamie S. Kendall vs. Hoffmann-La Roche, the next Accutane lawsuit set to go to trial in the Atlantic County New Jersey Superior Courts. In 2008, Ms. Kendall won a $10.5 million settlement after a jury agreed that Accutane had caused her to develop an extremely traumatic case of inflammatory bowel disease and that drug warnings had not warned her of the risk of Accutane induced IBD. But in 2010, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, maker of the anti-acne drug Accutane, won an appeal. The original jury verdict was reversed and the case was sent back for retrial.

James Marshall Settlement Still Up in the Air

Although there has been no settlement amount yet released to the public related to the ongoing Accutane trials, legal experts can speculate based on previous Accutane settlement amounts. More than three thousand Accutane lawsuits have been filed and there is no telling how many more are on their way to the courts. In the past, plaintiffs have received millions of dollars from Accutane settlements and there is no reason to doubt that this will also be the case in subsequent trials.
A plaintiff named Adam Mason won seven million dollars in 2007 after developing Crohn’s disease linked to Accutane. Roche appealed the decision and lost. The most substantial Accutane winning to date was in the case of Andrew McCarrell, who won $2.6 million during his trial. Roche appealed the decision and McCarrell subsequently won $25 million after a jury ruled in his favor. McCarrell was a victim of Accutane-related inflammatory bowel disease, one of the most common severe side effects of Accutane. He was forced to undergo the removal of his colon due to the condition.
James Marshall, an actor who once had a promising career – with parts in movies such as A Few Good Men and Gladiator – before his health was destroyed by Accutane. His Accutane lawyers have reportedly asked Roche for a $11 million settlement that would cover lost wages and medical costs past and future. A jury could decide in his favor and order Roche to pay more than that amount – or Roche could pay him a settlement out of court before the trial is even completed. If Roche takes this course of action, they may also choose to settle with plaintiffs whose cases have not yet been heard.
Roche would likely appeal a decision in favor of Marshall, which could happen in the New Jersey court as early as next month.