05/04/2008- Accutane is as drug for treating severe acne. There are important and significant side-effects disclosed on the written warning. One side effect caused by ingesting Accutane is ulcerative colitis. A New Jersey state court jury awarded a 24 year old woman $10.5 million for compensatory damages. They Court did not allow the jury to consider punitive damages or consumer fraud issues. Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. is the pharmaceutical company selling the drug.
There have been three verdicts to date. In May 2007 the first trial resulted in a 2.6 million verdict to an Alabama plaintiff. The second case in October awarded $7,000,000 to a plaintiff. There are 425 claims pending nationwide.
In the New Jersey case Kamie Kendall, a Utah hair dresser started taking Accutane at age 12, by age 14 she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and in 2006 she had her colon removed. Her continued medical problems include debilitating diarrhea.
Warnings include the following for a fetus whose mother took Accuatane: Accutane (isotretinoin) causes birth defects that include external deformity of the skull, ears, eyes, cleft palate, facial, and internal deformities of the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, thymous and parathymous glands, and finally can lead to spontaneous abortions and premature births.
The warning further goes on to say Accutane causes depression and suicidal ideation to name a few psychiatric disorders leading to suicide and suicide attempts.
