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Lawsuit against Accutane

Hoffman-LaRoche, manufacturer of Valium and Tamiflu, introduced a new acne medication in 1982, which was essentially a vitamin-A supplement, to help teenagers and adults who were suffering from serious acne. In order to prevent scarring as a result of severe acne, Accutane was formulated to help clear up acne before permanent damage could be done to the skin. Unfortunately for Hoffman-LaRoche, Accutane ended up producing myriad different side effects that ranged from suicide to birth defects. There have now been substantial lawsuits brought against the manufacturers of Accutane looking for remuneration of the damages caused by the drug.

Manufacturer Liability

Numerous lawsuits have found their way into the hands of the LaRoche Group, which is the seventh largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Based out of Switzerland, the LaRoche Group has now been the subject of several claims set against their prescription acne drug known as Accutane. In the many years since the drug was heavily being prescribed, many patients complained of discomfort in their stomachs. It later turned out to be gastrointestinal problems that were the direct result of the effects of Accutane. Unfortunately for some users, major surgery was required to either fix the various problems or remove the person's intestines altogether. Three different cases against Roche yielded a grand total of $19.5 million in restitution claims for injuries suffered through the use of Accutane.

Accutane Side Effects

A wide variety of side effects have allegedly resulted from the use of Accutane, in addition to the aforementioned gastrointestinal issues, LaRoche eventually had to put a Black Box warning on the Accutane packaging, cautioning that the drug could cause undue harm if not specifically prescribed for a particular case. Some of the resulting side effects included: depression, erectile dysfunction, Crohn's Disease, heart attack, seizures, strokes, and thoughts of suicide.

Accutane and Suicide

The ability to bring about thoughts of harming oneself was the precursor to some of the lawsuits filed against Hoffman-Roche. There are at least four known cases of suicide that have been directly attributed to the use of Accutane through litigation and settlements. It is difficult to say if Accutane alone caused these deaths to occur, but it is a fact that all four people were in their teenage years or early 20s and all were being prescribed Accutane for moderate to severe acne.

Accutane and Birth Defects

Serious birth defects have also been reported through the use of Accutane. The problems arising from the consumption of Accutane is such a major concern that women who may become pregnant have to agree to take two separate forms of birth control while taking regular pregnancy tests to ensure that they are not allowing an unborn child to succumb to the effects of Accutane. The drug is only available now through a program called iPLEDGE, which is an initiative to alert Accutane users to the dangers involved with taking the prescription medication. Without expressed written consent to all of the items outlined under the iPLEDGE program, Accutane cannot be administered to that particular patient.

FDA and Global Market Warnings

It became known in 2000 that Accutane had previously been warned by the French equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration that specific language needed to be included on the side of the box stating the potential psychiatric side effects that had been found to accompany the drug. LaRoche failed to report these findings to the U.S. FDA, and the manufacturers were made to include this warning on the side of the boxes being distributed in America.

Legal Consultation

If you have taken Accutane in the past, you should consult with a lawyer regarding any problems that you might have suffered through use of the drug. A licensed attorney will be able to lay out your options for you, as well as consult on the most beneficial direction to take your potential litigation in. You are also urged to consult closely with a physician before any treatment with Accutane takes place.