In the long list of lawsuits against Hoffmann-LaRoche Inc., on more lawsuit has hit the headlines, alleging that the use of Accutane caused inflammatory bowel disease. Kamie Kendall, a 24-year-old hairdresser from Utah has filed a lawsuit according to which the use of Accutane has made her suffer from inflammatory bowel disease.
Kendell has alleged La-Roche Inc., the manufacturer of Accutane, to be responsible for her suffering from ulcerative colitis. The plaintiff Kamie Kendell was using Accutane since she was 12 years old. After two years of use she developed Ulcerative Colitis. Her colon was removed to save her, in 2006. She is also suffering from chronic diarrhea.
Accutane is the brand name for isotretinoin. It is used for treatment of acne. It is produced by Roche Pharmaceuticals. It has been associated with different psychiatric and bowel diseases. Food & Drug Administration started scrutinizing this medicine after reports of its side effects, especially those related to psychiatric problems, started pouring in from all places. Accutane is shown to cause severe depression and other serious psychiatric conditions which can even lead to committing a suicide. It has also been associated with inflammatory bowel disease and proved to increase risk of colon cancer.
Other, less reported side effects of Accutane include problems related to liver, kidney, nervous system, pancreas, cardiovascular system and immune system.
The lawyer argued for plaintiff Kamie Kendell that she suffered ulcerative colitis and due to removal of colon is suffering from frequent diarrhea. The attorney claimed that Roche had not given sufficient warning to the patients that the drug could lead to such severe problems, as Kendell has been suffering. Ms. Kendall is a resident of Utah, but her Accutane lawsuit was filed against Roche in New Jersey, as it’s the state of operations of Roche.
After much debate, the jury awarded Ms. Kendell with $10.5 million as compensation for the damage and another $78,500 as medical expenses. The jury ruled against punitive damage or customer fraud, as there was no sufficient evidence.
This verdict was the largest single-plaintiff ruling in any case related to Accutane. Hoffman-LaRoche has decided to appeal against verdict arguing that its label contains warning against inflammatory bowel disease.
