Accutane Lawsuit

A brief guide to filing an Accutane lawsuit

History of Accutane Lawsuits:

In 1982, manufacturer Roche introduced the acne medication Accutane to the market. At the time, reports of dangerous Accutane side effects had not been published. Due to increasing reports of these events, more than 8,000 people have filed a suit seeking an Accutane settlement. The drug was withdrawn from the market in 2009 in response to the number of people who filed an Accutane lawsuit. As of 2011, it was reported that Roche had paid at least $75 million in Accutane settlements.

There are many Accutane side effects that were reported during the 2000s. For example, one family filed an Accutane lawsuit over the 2002 suicide of their 15-year-old son. However, the family later withdrew their suit for an Accutane settlement. Most of the litigation regarding Accutane side effects concerned the development of irritable bowel syndrome.

Litigation seeking an Accutane settlement began in the early 2000s. In response to reports of Accutane side effects concerning pregnant women, the FDA had already tightened its regulation of the drug. In 2004, that regulatory body required new registration procedures to guard against the risk of fetal defects. However, these Accutane side effects were not the subject of most litigation.

Early reports of adverse effects and Accutane lawsuit revolved around the risk of suicide. However, none of these cases successfully made it to trial. The first trial seeking an Accutane settlement commenced in 2007 in Illinois. At the time, there was no clinical trial proving that use of the drug resulted in Accutane side effects including irritable bowel syndrome. However, this did not lessen the legal success of people who had filed an Accutane lawsuit.


Due to the number of people seeking an Accutane settlement, the cases have been consolidated in a procedure known as "multidistrict litigation." This procedure is designed to hear multiple cases concerning the same legal issue in one court. A federal court in New Jersey has been assigned to hear every Accutane lawsuit. It is not known how long it will take to bring an end to the litigation over Accutane side effects.


There have been many prominent cases regarding the ongoing litigation. For example, in 2007 a man filed an Accutane lawsuit regarding his development of inflammatory bowel disease. Though the initial Accutane settlement of $2.5 million awarded by a jury was overturned on appeal, a retrial resulted in a larger award of $25.16 million. Nearly every piece of litigation concerning Accutane side effects so far has similarly focused on the development of bowel problems.


Anyone wishing to pursue an Accutane lawsuit must act quickly. Since the drug has not been available since 2009, the statute of limitations for seeking an Accutane settlement likely has expired for existing victims. If you wish to join the multidistrict litigation, consult with a lawyer familiar with these legal proceedings as soon as possible.

How do I File Accutane Lawsuits?

Typically the first step to filing an Accutane lawsuit is finding an experience attorney who will take your case. Attorneys, after evaluating your case, will walk you through the legal process and act as an advocate in the fight to receive an Accutane settlement for your suffering and medical expenses. The majority of individuals who claim they develop serious inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis because of Accutane file suits against Roche Pharmaceuticals. A number of other plaintiffs; however, filed suits against Accutane because—as stated above—their newborns experienced severe birth defects after being exposed to the medication in the womb.

Accutane: FDA Regulations

The United States Food and Drug Administration classify Accutane as a potentially dangerous prescription drug that should only be taken under close supervision of your pharmacist or doctor. The FDA warns of birth defects, premature births, miscarriages and death in babies for pregnant patients. Moreover, the FDA warns against buying Accutane over the Internet because online sales bypass important procedures that ensure safe use.


Sources:

1.United States and Drug Administration: Isotretinoin (marketed as Accutane) Capsule Information; retrieved from:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm094305.htm

2. United States National Library of Medicine: Isotretinoin retrieved from:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000532/

3. Roche Laboratories (September 2007). "Accutane (Isotretinoin Capsules)".

FDA-Approved Official Product Label (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) NDA 018-662 S-058. Retrieved 05/02/2011.

4. Tesoriero, Heather Won (April 23, 2008). "Jury Awards $10.5 Million Over Accutane".

The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 30, 2012.