New Therapy Shows Promise in Treatment of IBD, Offers Help for Accutane Users

In a study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology earlier this month, researchers from the Uludag University School of Medicine in Bursa, Turkey, have discovered a new treatment that may help ease the painful symptoms and inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD.

Researchers noted a decrease in inflammation of mucous membranes after a local anesthesia medication, levobupivacaine, was applied to the colon tissue of rats.

The recent discovery offers possible hope for sufferers of the debilitating condition, for which there is currently no known cure. Causes of IBD also remain relatively unknown, but a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in 2006 found that treatment with Accutane (isotretinoin), a powerful oral acne medication used by more than 13 million people, is a "probable" trigger for IBD in many cases.

Inflammatory bowel disease is characterized by a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, which can cause symptoms of severe and constant stomach pain, rectal bleeding, and bloody diarrhea.

Accutane is believed to have an adverse effect on the delicate mucous membranes of the intestines and colon, causing ulcerations, inflammation, and irreversible damage. Past-users of Accutane report that IBD symptoms sometimes did not develop until months or years after treatment with Accutane had been stopped. 

Nearly 5,000 personal injury claims have been filed against the manufacturer of Accutane in recent months, with plaintiffs alleging that the company failed to adequately warm them of the risk of developing chronic bowel problems from the medication. In February 2010, an Accutane lawsuit settlement resulted in a $25 million award 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.