A jury awarded a 24 year old Utah woman $10.5 million for the pain and suffering she went through
after using Roche Holding AG's Accutane to combat her acne problems. The drug caused her to lose
her colon. The company reportedly faces hundreds of lawsuits for adverse side effects related to
the drug.

The case

A 24 year old Utah woman's doctor prescribed Accutane to help combat her persistent acne problems. She had been taking the drug over a seven year period. The drug's side effects caused
problems with her bowels and she eventually had to have her colon removed. A jury awarded her
$78,500 for medical bills and $10.5 million for the pain and suffering she experienced as a result
of the drug's side effects. The judge in the case refused to allow punitive damages.

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Hundreds of lawsuits filed

According to news reports, hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against the Switzerland based
company over Accutane – a synthetic form of vitamin A used to treat serious forms of acne that can
cause scarring. Reported side effects from the drug, which has been on the market since 1982,
include bowel disease similar to the case above, birth defects, and depression that may result in
suicidal behavior. In addition to the lawsuit described above, others have gone to trial and
juries have awarded plaintiffs close to $10 million combined.

Examples of other lawsuits include those filed by:

• A 33-year-old mother who suffered severe depression when she took Accutane and had a child
  with severe birth defects
• The family of a 15-year-old boy who crashed a small plane into a Tampa skyscraper after
  taking Accutane for 8 months
• The family of a 14-year-old who took Accutane and was killed when he stood in front of a
  commuter train next to the Palo Alto High School football field
• The family of a 22-year-old Virginia man who committed suicide while taking Accutane
• The family of a 21-year-old woman who attempted suicide while taking Accutane
• A 28-year-old man who had most of his colon removed as a result of inflammatory bowel disease
  contracted after taking Accutane

If you or a loved one has been injured due to the side effects that are now becoming known about Accutane, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law. Consultations are free, without obligation and are strictly confidential. To contact a qualified attorney, please click here. We may be able to help.