Healthy Skepticism Library item: 10311

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

Routledge S.
Roche ordered to pay $2.25 million in Accutane case
Pharmaceutical Business Review 2007 May 30
http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=B0596825-609A-41D2-A5AA-9635D2D283A9

Full text:

Roche has lost its first case brought against its acne drug Accutane after a New Jersey jury awarded $2.25 million to an Alabama man who claimed that the product had caused his inflammatory bowel disease.

The jury found that Roche had failed to adequately warn Andrew McCarrell of the drug’s bowel disease risks, and this was a major contributory cause of his illness. The case is the first of approximately 400 which are being brought against the company.

The panel awarded $2.5 million in damages to Mr McCarrell and $119,000 for past medical expenses. However, the jurors found that Roche did not violate New Jersey consumer fraud law in its marketing of Accutane.

Roche said that it intends to appeal the verdict.