08/15/2006 - National Legal News

In a report published in the July edition of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers say they have found a direct link between the popular acne drug Accutane and inflammatory bowl disease, a connection only suspected until now.

Inflammatory bowl disease (IBD) is a chronic condition marked by inflammation of the intestine, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea. Two common forms of the disease are ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

Though Accutane, which has the generic name isotretinoin, was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1982, cases of IBD caused by the drug could not be accurately tracked until the inception of the MedWatch system in 1996. From that time until 2002, 85 patients using Accutane were diagnosed with IBD. Of these patients, 62 were informed that Accutane was a “probable” or “highly probable” cause of their bowel disease.

Because Accutane is known to cause serious birth defects, the government has instituted a thorough consent regimen for its prescription and distribution. Experts suggest that the information from the recent study should be included in the consent process.

If you are currently taking Accutane to treat acne, and you have a family history of inflammatory bowel disease, talk to your doctor to determine whether the risks outweigh the benefits of the drug.