A jury has awarded $2 million to a woman who says that taking Accutane caused her to develop ulcerative colitis. Gillian Gaghan says that the acne medication left her without bowel control at night and also caused her to develop lupus-like symptoms.
More than 16 million people use Accutane, which is from the pharmaceutical company Roche. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug to treat serious acne in the early 1980's. However, since then, hundreds of people have come forward to file Accutane lawsuits claiming that the medication has caused bowel problems and other serious health issues. They contend that they were not warned of the side effects. Roche has had to pay over $56 million in jury awards so far.
Although Roche maintains that the drug is safe, it pulled the drug in 2009. Accutane has since been discontinued. However, its generic, isotretinoin, is still available. It is also still prescribed under a number of other names, including Raccutane, Ratane, Amnesteem, Decutan, Claravis, Sotret, and Istane.
Possible Serious Accutane Side Effects:
• Crohn's disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Stevens-Johnson Syndrome
Unfortunately, the same jury that awarded Gaghan her dangerous drug compensation declined to do the same for two other plaintiffs involved in this trial. They found that plaintiff James Marshall had a pre-existing medical condition and that the drug manufacturer's failure to warn of side effects did not play a role in plaintiff Kelly Andrews' decision to take Accutane.
When serious side effects occur because a drug proved dangerous for use and/or the manufacturer did not warn about the risks that could result from taking the medication, the pharmaceutical company can be held liable for California products liability.
Accutane Trial Ends With $2 Million Verdict for One Plaintiff, News Inferno, April 26, 2011
Roche Drug Trial Witness Dennehy Says Actor's Loss a 'Tragedy', Bloomberg, March 11, 2011
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