Case Evaluation

Qualify your case in
just 5 minutes.

Accutane

Accutane is a potent drug developed by the pharmaceutical company Hoffman-La Roche (Roche) in 1982 for the treatment of severe acne. Roche derived the drug from Isotretinoin, a Vitamin-A derivative originally developed for use in chemotherapy cancer medications due to its capacity to kill rapidly dividing cells.

Roche produced and marketed Accutane as both Accutane and Roaccutane for over 25 years in the United States until it was discontinued in June of 2009. During this time, more than 2 million people took the drug for treatment, therefore experts have had a good opportunity to study its effects. Some of the more serious side effects associated with the medication include:

Ulcerative Colitis
Crohn’s Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Birth Defects
Depression

A course of treatment with Accutane usually involved taking pills orally for 4 to 5 months, with a course of follow up treatment in some cases. At the time it was discontinued, Roche reported yearly sales of more than $1.2 billion from the drug.

Roche stopped producing and dispensing Accutane in the United States on June 29, 2009, citing poor market share and rising costs of defending lawsuits filed by people who had been affected by certain side effects after taking the medication.

To date, approximately 5,000 lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Accutane by people who claim the medication caused them severe side effects. Those injured by its use have recovered more than $33 million in damages for their medical bills, pain and future costs.

Most of these lawsuits allege problems relating to Bowel Inflammation or Irritation, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Birth Defects, Hair Loss or Blindness.

Legal Options

If you or someone you love has been affected by a serious side effect of Accutane, Contact us today for help on locating a doctor, answers to your questions and a free consultation of your legal rights.