Actor James Marshall's claim denied in same case

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., April 8, 2011-- Hagens Berman LLP, a nationally recognized law firm today praised a jury's verdict that ordered pharmaceutical company Roche (ROG:VX) to pay $2 million to a woman who suffered serious gastrointestinal damage caused by the drug Accutane, while denying similar claims of actor James Marshall and another plaintiff.

Accutane, along with its active ingredient, isotretinoin, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982 to treat severe acne and became one of the biggest selling drugs for Roche with more than 16 million users. However, the drug's success has also been tainted by a history of more than 20 product-labeling modifications, FDA warning letters and litigation.

The woman, Gillian Gaghan, took the drug and developed serious complications, including ulcerative colitis and lupus-like symptoms, and has lost nighttime bowel control, court records show.

The seven-person jury concluded that the Swiss drug giant did not warn Gaghan of the risks associated with taking the drug, which led to her developing the ulcerative colitis.

James Marshall, an actor with a long list of film credits, claimed that the injuries he sustained using Accutane cut short his promising career, a claim substantiated by testimony of Martin Sheen and director Rob Reiner. The jury found that Marshall had a pre-existing condition and that Accutane was not a substantial factor in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The jury agreed that Accutane was responsible for the third plaintiff's development of IBD, but Roche's failure to warn wasn't a factor in Kelley Andrews' decision to take the drug.

Hagens Berman currently represents more than 50 individuals who claim they developed irreversible side effects, including IBD, after taking Accutane. The firm was not involved in the Greenblatt v. Roche case, but Hagens Berman partner Robert Carey believes the jury's decision to hold Roche accountable gives hope to others who may have been harmed by the drug.

"We've spoken with hundreds of people who have been affected by Accutane, and without exception they tell us that if they knew of an increased risk of IBD they would have never used the medication," said Carey, who represents individuals in injury claims against Accutane. "Gaghan's case proves that our legal system works. We also intend to use litigation to help other individuals who were negatively affected by this drug to find justice."

This verdict marks the eighth lawsuit to go to trial since Roche was first charged with allegations linking Accutane to IBD and other intestinal diseases. Juries in all eight cases have issued verdicts against Roche, totaling $47 million in damages.
Roche currently faces more than 3,000 lawsuits that involve Accutane and bowel-disease claims.

In earlier cases, Roche was ordered to pay $7 million to a plaintiff in a 2007 verdict and $25.1 million to another plaintiff in a 2010 decision, and these cases are currently on appeal.

Roche, a Switzerland-based company with a manufacturing unit in New Jersey, still contends that the drug is safe, but the drug maker voluntarily pulled Accutane from the market in 2009.

"Our investigation raises concerns that Roche may have concealed certain side effects linked to Accutane in an attempt to maximize profits," said Carey. "We are also interested to speak with witnesses who may have more information about these claims."

Individuals who developed intestinal problems including IBD, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or other medical conditions believed to be linked to the acne drug after taking Accutane are encouraged to contact Hagens Berman for a personal consultation at 800-888-0088 or to visit www.accutanelawyers.com. Information provided to the firm will remain confidential.

About Hagens Berman

Seattle-based Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is one of the top class-action law firms in the nation, with offices in Boston, Chicago, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1993, we represent plaintiffs in class actions and multi-state, large-scale litigation that seek to protect the rights of investors, consumers, workers and whistleblowers.

More information about the firm is available at www.hbsslaw.com.

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Some side effects of Accutane can be reduced or avoided by taking certain precautions. Be sure to ask your doctor about all necessary precautions while taking Accutane in order to minimize the likelihood of serious side effects.

Birth Defects
The most serious side effects of Accutane can be avoided completely by simply not becoming pregnant while you are taking the medication. If you are a woman of childbearing age, it is very important to use birth control while you are taking Accutane. In fact, for your doctor to prescribe Accutane for you, you must agree in writing to use both a primary form of birth control, such as birth control pills, and a secondary form such as condoms or spermicides. In addition, you should have a pregnancy test before you start taking the drug to be completely sure you are not pregnant. Birth defects caused by Accutane can be profound and even fatal to an unborn child.

Sun Sensitivity
Accutane can also cause abnormal sensitivity to sunlight, resulting in serious sunburn. Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, wear protective clothing when outside, and also avoid tanning beds or other artificial ultraviolet rays. It is also important to avoid dermabrasion, laser skin treatments, or waxing for hair removal. Increased skin sensitivity can cause these treatments to leave serious scarring.

Other precautions include:

• Do not take vitamin A supplements, or any vitamin supplement that includes vitamin A
• Do not donate blood while taking Accutane, or for thirty days after the end of treatment
• If you are breastfeeding, consult with your doctor before using Accutane
  

For more information about Accutane, pharmaceutical injuries, or what a pharmaceutical injury attorney can do for you, please contact a pharmaceutical injury lawyer in your area today.

Accutane lawsuits are on the rise. In the past two months, more than 400 Accutane claims have been filed in a New Jersey mass tort litigation. All of these cases allege that the consumption of Accutane resulted in the development of serious side effects, including:

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Crohn’s Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis

The plaintiffs have claimed that Roche Holding AG, the manufacturer of the popular acne medication, failed to adequately warn users of the serious side effects associated with the drug. Approximately 1,600 Accutane claims are currently pending in our legal system.

The recent increase in Accutane litigation is most likely due to a court ruling which established the timetable for the statue of limitations as starting at the time the injured victim discovered the association between Accutane usage and the development of a serious bowel condition.

In 2009, Roche recalled Accutane citing economic reasons as the impetus for their action. In particular, they noted the high cost of defending Accutane lawsuits as a deciding factor. The majority of Accutane lawsuits have gone in favor of the plaintiffs. Earlier this year, Roche was ordered to pay $25.16 million in damages to a patient who developed inflammatory bowel disease after taking Accutane. The condition ultimately resulted in the removal of the patient’s colon.

If you have developed a serious bowel condition from taking Accutane, the pharmaceutical injury lawyers at Hagens Berman can help you receive the compensation you deserve. We are a large national law firm with extensive experience in this complex area of law, and we will fight aggressively to ensure your rights are fully protected.

Please contact our Accutane lawyers today to schedule your free initial consultation. Hagens Berman serves clients nationwide.

Accutane, a vitamin A derivative, is very effective in treating the most severe forms of acne. However, it also brings with it a host of side effects, many of which are systemic.

The increasingly long list of side effects associated with Accutane has led the FDA to require a number of warnings to be distributed with the drug. In addition, because of the extreme danger to unborn babies whose mothers take Accutane, women must agree in writing to use two forms of birth control while using the drug and take a pregnancy test before beginning treatment.

Still, many people have suffered long-term and even permanent injury from this potent and dangerous medication. This has led to the filing of several class action lawsuits against the manufacturers of Accutane, seeking compensation for those who have been harmed by the drug.

What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action suit differs from a standard lawsuit in that it represents a large number of people at once. Rather than filing an individual lawsuit for each person injured by Accutane, a single lawsuit is filed representing a group of people who have suffered similar injuries.

What Information Do I Need to Give a Lawyer for a Class Action Suit?
If you feel you have suffered injury from Accutane or any other drug, it’s important to provide as much information as you can for your pharmaceutical injury attorney, including:

• When you took the drug
• How long you took it, and what your dosage was
• What injury you suffered
• Whether you were taking the drug when the injury occurred
• What professional help you sought for your injury
  

All this information can help your case, as well as those of other individuals who have suffered in the same way.

For more information about Accutane and related class action lawsuits, please contact a pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area today.

While a very effective drug for use against severe acne, Accutane has also been linked to extremely serious side effects. Because of these side effects, several class action suits have been filed against the makers of Accutane.

Physical Side Effects of Accutane
The most serious side effect of Accutane is that it causes severe birth defects. This has led to stronger control of the drug among women. However, other side effects have also been linked to the drug, some of which are systemic and can be fatal.

Some physical side effects linked to Accutane include:

• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Pancreatitis
• Increased pressure in the brain
• Liver damage
• Skin damage

These side effects can lead to widespread, long-term problems that are difficult or even impossible to treat.

Psychological Side Effects of Accutane
Another major, very severe side effect that occasionally occurs with Accutane is severe depression. Some people who suffer from this side effect are led to violent behavior or suicidal thoughts, and some even commit suicide or attempt to commit suicide. Several class action lawsuits have been filed across the country by families of people, mostly adolescents, who killed themselves while being treated with Accutane.

If you have been treated with Accutane and have experienced any severe side effects, you might be entitled to compensation. Please contact a pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area as soon as possible to find out about your rights.

Birth defects occur when the natural development of an unborn child is disrupted either as the result of natural genetic factors or because of a teratogenic agent—a substance known to cause birth defects—introduced into the mother’s system.

Birth Defects as a Side Effect of Accutane
Accutane is known to cause birth defects if used by pregnant women. In fact, children born to women who used Accutane during pregnancy are ten times more likely to suffer from abnormalities than under normal circumstances.

Birth defects linked to Accutane include:

• Abnormal brain development
• Cleft lip and/or palate
• Heart defects
• Severe mental retardation
• Malformation of the ears and eyes

These birth defects often occur in the very early weeks of fetal development. Because women often do not know they are pregnant until the pregnancy is a bit further along, Accutane use is carefully controlled for women of childbearing age.

Limiting Accutane Use
To limit the occurrence of these often profound birth defects, Accutane is now only prescribed for women under a program called iPledge. In order to use Accutane, women of childbearing potential must have a pregnancy test before beginning treatment. They must also agree in writing to use both a primary and secondary form of birth control. If they have unprotected sex during treatment, or experience a late period or any other sign of possible pregnancy, they must immediately consult with their doctor.

For more information about Accutane or other drugs, please contact an experienced pharmaceutical injury attorney in your area today.

Accutane (isotretinoin), an acne medication made by Hoffmann-La Roche, has many side effects. You may have taken Accutane a few years ago and have some of these side effects now, without realizing the connection. These are not minor side effects and they include inflammatory bowel disease, especially the forms of it known as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

If you have been diagnosed with any of these conditions, your doctor may also not realize they are connected to Accutane. Of course your doctor knows the conditions and his concern is to help you alleviate them, but it may not have occurred to him to ask you if you ever took Accutane.

If you did take Accutane at some point and you do have one of these unpleasant conditions, you may be able to file a lawsuit against Hoffmann-La Roche. There is a two-year period of time allowed between taking the Accutane and making the link to your ulcerative colitis or other side effects.

Need a Formal Diagnosis
Legally, it would not be enough for you to just think you have one of these side effects. You would need to be properly diagnosed by a doctor. If you know that you took Accutane and wonder if you have ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, or Crohn's disease, you should contact your doctor and ask him to examine you for a possible diagnosis.

You may have irritable bowel syndrome – that is not the same as inflammatory bowel disease. They have similar symptoms, but irritable bowel syndrome, also called spastic colon, does not have a clearly-known cause and it is a functional gastrointestinal disorder. Inflammatory bowel disease is the name for a group of conditions in the small and large intestines that are chronic.

If you are just finding out that your condition may be the result of having taken Accutane in the past, there is time for you to consult an attorney and file a lawsuit. So far, there have been seven Accutane verdicts, all favorable to the plaintiff, although one was overturned by an appeals court.

To contact an experienced Accutane lawyer in your area, please send us an email today.