First Accutane Trial Yields $2.6 Million Verdict
Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 615
A New Jersey jury awarded $2.619 million to a man who claimed the acne drug Accutane caused his inflammatory bowel disease. The man claimed that the drug's manufacturer failed to warn customers of the serious side effects that caused him to have multiple surgeries, including the removal of his colon.
Introduced in 1982, Accutane has been prescribed to more than 13 million patients internationally. In addition to claims that the drug caused inflammatory bowel disease, there are also cases in litigation over the company's failure to adequately warn about birth defects, suicide, and depression.
In a statement, the company said it plans to appeal, adding that "there is no reliable scientific evidence that Accutane causes inflammatory bowel disease." However, at trial the defense relied upon Accutane's warning label, arguing that the company had warned of inflammatory bowel disease for 20 years.
Curiously, the company also argued at trial that Accutane does not cause inflammatory bowel disease.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.