Accutane, generically known as isotretinoin, is a drug prescribed for the treatment of nodular acne. Due to its large amount of serious side effects, it is generally reserved as a treatment of last resort.

The Accutane side effect often considered the most serious is birth defects. Babies have been born with physical deformities and/or mental retardation when the mother has been taking Accutane. For this reason, women of child-bearing age are supposed to be required to sign a detailed waiver before they are prescribed this drug. They also must use effective birth control methods starting one month before treatment and continuing through until one month after.

Men are not safe from the other bad side effects of Accutane, and neither are women who don’t intend to become pregnant. All who take this drug risk dry and cracking skin, lips, and noses. Nosebleeds can result. Conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, is another side effect. These are some of the more common negative aspects of Accutane treatment.

Accutane Side Effects

- Bowel inflammation that can result in diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, and even rectal bleeding.

- A decrease in night vision that may come on suddenly.

- Other disturbances in vision, headaches, and nausea. These are related because they are caused by an increase in pressure within the skull.

- Irritation of the optic nerves at the back of the eyeballs. Treatment of this side effect may require the services of a neurologist.

- Skin problems including rash, peeling of the soles and palms, increased susceptibility to sunburn, and infections.

- Other problems like depression, urinary discomfort, thinning hair, a decreased tolerance for contact lenses, and fatigue.

Accutane is considered so dangerous that patients are not to donate blood until at least a month after treatment with it.

Legal Implications

Needless to say, a drug with so many serious side effects has drawn many lawsuits and continues to attract more. In a landmark case in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a man was awarded $25.2 million due to the fact that Accutane gave him chronic ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease which eventually forced the removal of his colon. The case is a landmark because it overturned his original award of $2.5 million to give him the much larger amount.

It is also worthy of noting that the original award was thrown out after Roche complained to the appeals court that certain evidence should have been admitted. The court agreed and ordered a new trial. This, however, turned out to be in the plaintiff’s best interests instead of Roche’s, costing them over $20 million more than the original award.

In another case, three plaintiffs were awarded $13 million from Roche for the damage they had suffered from Accutane. Other lawsuits against Roche have also gone in the plaintiffs’ favor. In 2009, after the $13 million settlement, Roche stopped making and selling the drug, but that does not clear them of their liability for others that were harmed by their product. In fact, in a mass tort action in Atlantic City, another 790 cases are in process that bring the same allegations.

Manufacturer Liability

At the heart of these cases is the allegation that Accutane’s manufacturer, Roche Pharmaceuticals, should have known or actually knew of the fact that their drug causes inflammatory bowel disease, yet allegedly hid that fact from prescribing physicians. The courts have been very condemning of this and respond by giving plaintiffs large awards to punish the company for its egregious behavior.

Selecting an Attorney

If you’ve been harmed by Accutane in any way, consulting an attorney should be high on your agenda. There is a high chance that the courts will side with you in wanting to make Roche compensate you for the suffering their product caused you – suffering that could have been avoided if the company had been forthright about the dangers of the drug they made and sold.