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Generic Accutane Manufacturers Deny IBD Correlation

A recent study of patients who took Accutane or another brand of isotretinoin and later developed severe gastrointestinal conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns Disease, has tried to establish a link between the Bowel disorders and tetracycline-based antibiotics they may have taken before Accutane.

The only problem is the study was funded by one of the generic manufacturers of Accutane, who along with Roche, are facing thousands of lawsuits from those who took Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret and later developed the bowel disorders. It is believed that approximately 16 million people took Accutane to fight their acne after the drug was introduced in 1983.

Roche pharmaceuticals discontinued sales of Accutane in June of 2009 due to decreasing market share from generic pressure and mounting lawsuits over its severe side effects.

The four drug firms are searching for something to break the link between their products and the gastrointestinal conditions, after numerous experts have stated that the isotretinoin is related to the disorders. So far, in every one of the six lawsuits that have gone to a jury trial, the patients have won and have been awarded a total of $56 million.

The recent study was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology on August 10. It discusses the fact that several of the people who eventually took Accutane to treat their severe acne and later developed severe bowel problems first took one of the tetracycline-based oral antibiotics. The researchers, who were funded by one of the generic Accutane drug manufacturers, stated there could be a link between antibiotic drugs for acne treatment and an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Critics of the study, however, point out that it studied a broad sample of 94,000 people in the U.K. who had acne as teenagers between 1998 to 2006, but only looked for the ones who took antibiotics such as doxycycline, minocycline or tetracycline and developed IBD. 152 people in the study met that criteria, with most of those developing Crohns disease.

Researchers familiar with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease say the results of this study certainly dont clear Accutane from its links to the diseases, but more studies should be performed.