April 2008 Accutane Trial In New Jersey Ends With Plaintiff Verdict

Utah Woman Developed Inflammatory Bowel Disease After Using This Hoffman-LaRoche Drug

(Posted by Tom Lamb at DrugInjuryWatch.com)

A 24-year old woman from Utah was awarded more than $10 million in legal compensation by a New Jersey state court jury in a trial involving the allegation that Accutane (isotretinoin), a prescription acne medication, caused her inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  The case is Kamie S. Kendall v. Hoffman-La Roche Inc., No. ATL-L-8213-05-MT, N.J. Super., Atlantic Co.

From an April 23, 2008 article, "Jury Awards $10.5 Million Over Accutane", by Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Heather Won Tesoriero:

The jury awarded $10.5 million of compensatory damages plus $78,500 for medical expenses. The judge presiding over the case ruled there was insufficient evidence to allow the jury to consider punitive damages or consumer fraud....

Since it was introduced in 1982, Accutane, which is still sold, has been taken by roughly 13 million people in the U.S. A company spokesman said in a statement that "the Accutane labeling has contained a warning about IBD for more than 20 years."

In May 2007 the first New Jersey case against Hoffman-La Roche Inc. for the failure to warn that its acne drug Accutane can cause inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) went to trial; it resulted in a $2.6 million verdict against the drug company.

A second Accutane trial in October 2007 ended with a jury awarding $7 million to the plaintiff.

A Hoffman-LaRoche spokesman said the company plans to appeal all three Accutane verdicts, according to the April 23 WSJ article.