After being on the market for over 25 years, the widely-used acne medication Accutane was discontinued in 2009 due to mass reports of harmful bowel diseases and the resultant damaging effects. It is estimated that as many as 16 million people have taken the disease since its introduction in 1982, many for several years. Now, the once-popular drug has been linked to various severe inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease, which often come with destructive side effects.

Accutane was removed from the market in 2009 by its manufacturer Roche. However, several generic versions of the drug, known as isotretinoin, remain for sale in Texas and across the United States despite the filing of thousands of lawsuits and resulting multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements in favor of the plaintiffs.

In 2011, it is expected that several lawsuits currently pending against the Accutane manufacturer will go to trial. In general, people who file lawsuits against Roche do so on the basis of the manufacturer's negligence regarding the harm caused by the drug. In the past, Accutane lawsuits have been largely successful. Although many are settled out of court, seven suits against the manufacturer have resulted in multi-million dollar awards for those who suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases as a result of their use of the drug.

One lawsuit that is likely to take place in the coming months was filed by actor James Marshall. According to court documents, Marshall's Accutane use resulted in the development of severe inflammatory bowel disease. The disease was ultimately so advanced that Marshall's colon had to be removed.

Source: DrugWatch.com, "Several Accutane Lawsuits to Go to Trial in 2011", 3 January 2011