Accutane Medication Lawsuits
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In the early winter of the year 2010, a jury in a New Jersey courtroom awarded more than $25 million in compensatory and punitive damages to a patient who had been prescribed and used a simple medication to treat his rather severe case of acne. Because of his use of the drug, under a doctor's care, and in full compliance with the manufacturer's recommended guidelines for use, that patient developed a very severe case of an Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) that completely debilitated him.
The name of the acne drug that he was prescribed and that he took was Accutane, and the Inflammatory Bowel Disease that he contracted as a side effect forced the removal of a large portion of his colon in order to survive. The onset of Crohn's disease will stay with him for the rest of his natural life, with recurring cycles of pain, irritation and discomfort all along the way.
All over the world, there are patients who were prescribed the acne drug Accutane, and who are filing lawsuits for damages resulting from the use of the drug. Due to the different injuries and complexity of each and every case, lawsuits were not be organized into a single class action, instead they were consolidated into what is referred to as multi-district litigation.
What Accutane Is
Accutane is an incredibly powerful drug that was designed to treat cases of severe acne for patients who had tried every other form of treatment available, and have not seen any success with those treatments. Accutane was described by doctors and medical professionals as an acne treatment of last resort, and given the severe nature of the potential side effects, this is perhaps an all too apt description of the acne medication.
Though the makers of Accutane, Roche Pharmaceuticals, alleges that the acne drug is an all natural derivative of vitamin A, for reasons that are still not medically clear, large doses of the medication are responsible for setting off severe reactions in patients that use it. The problem occurs due to the large doses of Accutane that are required to effectively treat the severest cases of acne. And it is because of these high doses that many patients develop problems with their intestines and digestive tracts, skin conditions, and issues with depression and suicidal thoughts.
How Accutane Works
Accutane works to restrict the output of an acne patient's oil glands. This is the most effective way for those who afflicted with severe acne to clear up the condition. Unfortunately, fully functioning oil glands are an essential part of the body's immune system, and when they are inhibited by the chemicals in Accutane, many of the necessary functions in the digestive tract begin to shut down. This leads to all kinds of Inflammatory Bowel Disease for Accutane patients.
Accutane Lawsuits and Crohn's Disease
Because of the rapid, sweeping onset of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases such as Crohn's disease for Accutane patients, lawsuits are being filed throughout the world against Roche Pharmaceuticals, based out of Atlantic City, New Jersey. The previously mentioned case was the second loss that Roche Pharmaceuticals has incurred in a court of law for Accutane's link to IBD, with many more lawsuits pending on court dockets.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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