In his lawsuit against pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche Holding AG, actor James Marshall is alleging that his use of the prescription acne medication Accutane caused the inflammatory bowel disease that ultimately ended his career. Last week, actor Martin Sheen testified on Marshall's behalf, alleging that the drug and the disease cut short what appeared to be a very promising acting career.

Marshall, who is 44 years old, starred in films such as "A Few Good Men" before contracting inflammatory bowel disease in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was forced to have his colon removed in an emergency surgical procedure. Now Marshall has filed an Accutane lawsuit against Roche and its U.S. manufacturer-distributor, Hoffman-LaRoche Inc., claiming that he is no longer able to work as an actor due to lingering bowel issues that force him to remain housebound.

In Marshall's trial against Roche, Sheen testified that the disease and the surgery dramatically changed the appearance and personality of the once-promising actor. "There was a very dramatic change in his physicality. He was extremely thin," Sheen said. "There was a marked difference in his personality. He was withdrawn in a lot of ways."

In defense of the company and the drug, Roche is arguing that there is no conclusive link between Accutane and inflammatory bowel disease. However, juries have found otherwise in seven earlier Accutane lawsuit trials, awarding Roche to pay plaintiffs over $45 million in damages.

More than 15 million people have taken Accutane since it was introduced in 1982. Roche pulled it from the market in 2009 amidst widespread claims of bowel disease.

Source: Bloomberg, "Martin Sheen Tells Roche Accutane Jury That Actor Marshall Was Future Star", David Voreacos, 24 March 2011