More Dangers With Accutane Use
"CHICAGO - Accutane, the powerful acne drug already known to cause birth defects, seems to raise the risk for potential heart and liver problems more than doctors had expected, according to a new study.
The findings came from lab tests on 13,772 patients taking the popular acne drug and underscore the need to closely monitor people taking isotretinoin, which is sold as Accutane and in three generic versions. Abnormal results for cholesterol and liver function were more common than expected."
Read more at Yahoo! news.
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Protections From Accutane Related Birth Defects a Failure
"The government-approved system for preventing pregnant women from taking Accutane, the acne drug linked to miscarriages and severe birth defects, is a 'disaster,' the nation's leading dermatology association told a federal advisory panel on Friday. 'Pharmacies, prescribers and patients are confused and frustrated,' said Dr. Diane M. Thiboutot of the American Academy of Dermatology, who held a stack of what she said were samples of 200 complaints from dermatologists. She asked the panel to delay the system's mandatory starting date of March 1 by at least two months. But advocates of regulating Accutane said complaints about the new system were exaggerated."
Read the full article in the NY Times here.
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Accutane Associated With Myriad of Side Effects
Accutane (isotretinoin) is prescribed for serious acne in children and adults. It is estimated the 8-12 million people have been prescribed the medication in the United States alone. With that, more than 70,000 adverse events have been reported to the FDA. This number is staggering when considering that it is estimated that only 10% of all adverse events are actually reported.
Studies link up the drug with side effects such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, cardiovascular injuries, kidney and liver failure, psychiatric injuries and suicidal ideation, and severe birth defects. Roche Laboratories, the maker of Accutane, denies all side effects other than birth defects.
Roche acted improperly in failing to properly warn of Accutane’s myriad of side effects. The failure to warn leads to a failure of doctors to monitor for serious conditions caused by the drugs use. Many users are not even aware that Accutane may have caused their condition.
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