The Hardison & Associates, L.L.P, Raleigh Accutane Lawyers website provides information on the drug, its dangers and your rights if you or a loved one has suffered injury due to the use of Accutane.

Our attorneys have specialized in Personal Injury law, and we have been bringing quality legal services to clients throughout North Carolina for over twenty years. The firm has successfully represented clients in medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries, psychological damage cases, and product liability claims against the negligent manufacturers of unsafe drugs. Kenneth L. Hardison and Associates founded the firm with a commitment to making justice work for their clients. If you have been a victim of the severe and devastating effects of Accutane, our team can help make the justice system protect your rights and ensure that you receive the compensation to which you may be entitled.

Accutane (Isotretinoin) is synthetic derivative of vitamin A that is prescribed to treat severe, disfiguring cystic acne. This form of acne is painful, disfiguring and does not respond to other treatments including antibiotics. Accutane treatment entails a course of oral medication taken for several months and acts by shrinking the oil glands within the skin to diminish their oil production. While very effective, Accutane has also been found to carry significant risk including; birth defects and fetal death; psychiatric side effects including suicide; damage to the liver, kidneys, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and autoimmune system. Some research indicates an increased risk of colon cancer associated with Accutane use.

Accutane has been controversial since the mid 1980’s when it was linked to severe birth defects. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Accutane is one of the top three drugs with the most reported site effects in their database. Even before Accutane received FDA approval, testing indicated the drug could cause fetal anomalies in animals. This research led the drug’s manufacturer, Roche Dermatologics (a division of Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc.), to warn pregnant women of its risks and instituted a program designed to prevent pregnancies during the course Accutane treatment. Some other milestones in Accutane’s history include:

• Mid to late 1980’s, Accutane gains notoriety for its association with severe birth defects.
• 1992 – Accutane gains approval from the FDA.
• In the ‘90s, there are widespread reports of the drug’s negative effects unrelated to pregnancy.
• In 1998, the FDA advises physicians to monitor those under Accutane treatment for signs of depression.
• Hoffman-LaRoche notifies physicians that the drug “may cause depression, psychosis, and rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and suicide.”
• USA Today announces that the FDA has received reports of over 1300 cases of psychiatric problems and 66 cases of suicide related to the use of Accutane as of December of 2000.
• October 2001, the FDA announces a risk management program to prevent birth defects caused by Accutane. New warning labels and consent forms are required for the use of Accutane.
•  An updated, more comprehensive version of the Accutane Medication Guide is distributed to pharmacists in September of 2002.

If you have taken Accutane and suffered psychological damage, ill health, complications during pregnancy, or had a child born with a birth defect, you may be entitled to recover damages from the drug’s manufacturer. If someone you love has died or committed suicide because of their use of this powerful drug, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death suit. Whether you are considering a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death claim, it is important to have the guidance and resources of a legal team who specializes in personal injury, product liability and wrongful death claims. Hardison and Associates is that team, and we can improve your chances of recovering damages form negligent drug manufacturers through strong medical evidence, decades of experience in the North Carolina court system, demonstrated negotiation skills to ensure the most fair settlement, and aggressive litigation when appropriate. Please call Hardison & Associates, “the people’s law firm”, at 1-800-434-8399 or contact us via e-mail.