Accutane Side Effects Lawyers
Fighting for Those Harmed by Acne Drug

Millions of people have suffered from acute forms of acne in the United States, and while many people wrongly assume that such a condition is minor in severity, the truth is that acne can be a serious problem for those who suffer from it. Based on the increasing demand for products and medications designed to help fight this condition, a product known as Accutane was released onto the marketplace. While Accutane showed early promise for those who used it, eventually reports of serious Accutane side effects began to surface.

Below you’ll find information regarding the history of Accutane and its uses, the Accutane side effects that were reported, the result of this issue in terms of action taken by Accutane’s manufacturer and finally how you should proceed if you or someone you love has been harmed by this product and need the help of Accutane side effects lawyers.

Accutane – A Brief Overview

Accutane was originally approved for marketing, sale and distribution by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1982. The drug was manufactured by Hoffman-LaRoche, which remains one of the titans of the pharmaceutical industry around the world. It didn’t take long for Accutane to begin to dominate the acne medication market given the dearth of other options, and initially it proved to be particularly successful in treating two specific types of acne.

1. Nodular acne – Nodular acne is a condition whereby large cysts or bumps form around the surface of the face and/or the neck. These cysts tend to penetrate with their roots deep inside the skin tissue, which creates a high amount of pain for the patient. In addition, nodular acne can leave behind scarring that lasts a lifetime.

2. Cystic acne – Cystic acne is relatively related to nodular acne, and can arise at the same time. The main difference between cystic acne and nodular acne is that cystic acne features growths that contain a high number of white blood cells and dead tissue that rises to the top of the growths. This gives these growths the appearance of a ‘whitehead’ that many people would recognize.

Accutane was effective because it tended to attack these growths at their foundation and before they had a chance to grow and spread. It did so by killing off the bacteria that led to the formation of these bumps and helped to curb the rise in white blood cells that the body naturally activated to fight the infection. As stated above, the early results led to a total domination of the market by Accutane.

Accutane Side Effects

Unfortunately, after several years on the market, a high number of reports concerning Accutane side effects began to surface. Generally, three specific Accutane side effects were reported more commonly than others. These Accutane side effects are described below:

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

One common Accutane side effect was inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. IBD is a condition where inflammation develops on the inner walls of the intestines. This inflammation can create excruciating pain and lead to a patient suffering from frequent and uncontrollable urges for the bowels to discharge.

Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease is an otherwise relatively rare condition whereby the patient experiences extreme pain and discomfort because of the development of inflammation and a form of ulcers on the interior of the intestinal wall. Over time, Crohn’s disease can permanently damage the intestines and the bowels.

Ulcerative Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is somewhat related to Crohn’s disease in terms of the area of the body it attacks. However, ulcerative colitis is limited to attacks on the inner wall of the large intestine, and it features the development of ulcers in this area. These ulcers also lead to a high degree of pain and can all but destroy a person’s rectum.

Response to Accutane Side Effects

As a result of this growing number of reports of Accutane side effects, Hoffman-LaRoche was hit with an enormous number of civil lawsuits filed by Accutane side effects lawyers on behalf of injured clients. While the company cited ‘increased competition from generic equivalents’ as its reason, Accutane was pulled from the American market in 2009.

Despite the Accutane recall, however, Hoffman-LaRoche was pummeled with negative legal results. Reports of verdicts and settlements being awarded to injured consumers continued to surface, and many estimate that the total legal liability paid out by Hoffman-LaRoche is approaching between $75 million and $100 million.

How an Accutane Side Effects Lawyer Can Help

If you or someone you love has been harmed as a result of using this medication, you paid a much steeper price than you could have ever envisioned. Rather than attempting to take on a corporate conglomerate by yourself, seek the help of the experienced Accutane side effects lawyers at Parilman & Associates today by contacting the firm to schedule a free initial consultation.