Accutane Side Effects Lawsuit News
Accutane is a prescription drug that can cause a disorder known as Crohn’s disease. An Accutane side effects lawsuit involving Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can be one way to help with ongoing medical bills, time lost from work and the permanent health changes involved with IBD.
What is Crohn’s disease?
Crohn’s disease is a serious gastrointestinal disorder. It is a type of inflammatory bowel disease for which there is treatment, but no cure. Crohn’s disease most commonly affects the last part of the small intestine (the terminal ileum) and parts of the large intestine. However, it isn’t confined to these areas and it can attack any part of the digestive track. Crohn’s disease causes inflammation that extends deep into the layers of the intestine wall and generally involves the entire bowel wall. Accutane can cause Crohn’s disease.
What is Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease, which is a gastrointestinal disorder. Specifically, it is a chronic inflammation of the digestive tract accompanied by ulcers on the lining of the large intestine and rectum. Ulcerative colitis is often the most severe in the rectal area, and causes frequent diarrhea. Some people have reported an immediate onset of symptoms, while others developed ulcerative colitis months or even years after Accutane treatment was stopped. Treatment is available for Accutane ulcerative colitis symptoms, though there is no known cure.
What is Accutane supposed to do?
Accutane is supposed to clear up acne. It was created by Hoffmann-La Roche, a United States drug manufacturer. Accutane was discovered in 1979 when it was given to people who had severe acne, most of whom saw dramatic, permanent clearing of their symptoms. Accutane comes in pill form and is a Vitamin A derivative. It is administered for 15 to 20 weeks and then stopped. In 2009, Hoffman-La Roche discontinued manufacturing Accutane because of its dwindling market share.
Accutane cleared up acne by affecting the ways it develops. First, it dramatically reduces the size of the skin’s oil glands from 25% to over 55%, and even more dramatically reduces the amount of oil the skin produces by about 80%. Accutane also reduces the amount of acne bacteria that lives in skin oil, since it reduces the amount of the skin oil. Third, it reduces the speed at which the skin produces skin cells inside the pore, which helps the pores from becoming clogged. Finally, it has anti-inflammatory properties. Accutane boasts that it achieves partial or complete clearance of acne in about 95% of patients who complete a cycle. However, it has also caused serious health problems which have, in some cases, lead to Accutane lawsuit Crohn’s disease.
How is an Accutane lawsuit established?
Generally speaking, a person who suffers from Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis must establish that Accutane caused it, and that the person was not warned of this serious side effect. Recently, for example, in February 2010, a man was awarded $25 million in a lawsuit against Hoffmann-La Roche, the manufacturer of Accutane, for failing to warn of side effects, after he developed inflammatory bowel disorder. As stated, however, plaintiffs must prove they were not warned of the side effects before taking Accutane in order to be successful with an Accutane lawsuit. An example of this requirement is a case where a New Jersey appeals court did not hold Hoffmann-La Roche liable for birth defects caused by its product because the company had warned doctors and patients about the risks of the medication.