Accutane Lawsuits Filed by 5,000 Patients After Onset of Serious Side Effects

Accutane, a popular acne medication introduced in the 1980s and pulled from the market in 2009, continues to be associated with severe side effects such as inflammatory bowel disease and ulcerative colitis. The onset of adverse reactions in patients following treatment with Accutane has prompted the filing of a string of Accutane lawsuits against Roche Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the medication.

To date, approximately 5,000 personal injury lawsuits have been filed against Roche Pharmaceuticals, and the company has already been ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages.

New studies that surfaced earlier this year continue to support the link between Accutane use and the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the digestive tract. 

In April 2010, a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that patients who underwent treatment with Accutane were two times more likely to develop IBD than those who never took the medication. These findings support a 2006 study published in the same journal that linked 85 cases of IBD to the use of Accutane.

Many patients diagnosed with IBD, ulcerative colitis or other conditions following Accutane use have decided to seek litigation, with many believing that Roche Pharmaceuticals did not do enough to warn patients about the side effects associated with the medication.

In February 2010, the company was ordered to pay more than $25 million to a man who developed IBD several years after taking Accutane.

 Additional information about drugs and drug side effects may be found on DrugWatch.com.