A Dubious Anniversary for Accutane

Toronto, ONThe potential for Accutane inflammatory bowel disease from the use of Accutane has diminished somewhat since the manufacturer of Accutane, Roche, pulled the acne drug from the US market in June of last year. However, it is still available in generic form. And while Accutane IBD is one of the most oft-cited adverse reactions in recent years, Accutane has a history of concern that goes back a quarter century.

At the world-renowned Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, a unique program designed to counsel women and monitor exposure to medications while a woman is pregnant or while breastfeeding celebrates a milestone this year. The so-called "Motherisk" program was born at the hospital, initially with a staff of one. Today, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Health, Motherisk boasts about 70 people working on different aspects of exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding—and the program has become a model for similar efforts around the world.

But back to the Accutane acne medication. According to the 10.04.10 edition of the Toronto Star, by 1985 the threat of birth defects from thalidomide had long since been expunged after the once-popular anti-morning sickness drug had been banished from the obstetrics system. But the memory lingered for both patients and doctors.

Accutane brought the haunting back. "Accutane caused terrible birth defects, even more than thalidomide," Dr. Gideon Koren, a toxicologist at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, told the Toronto Star on the 25th anniversary of the Motherisk program." And there was this growing sense that every drug may cause problems for the baby."

Thus, while the inflammatory bowel disease aspect of the Accutane drug has taken center stage in recent years, as long as 25 years ago the characteristics of Accutane side effects as they related to the potential for birth defects formed the genesis for the Motherisk program at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, together with similar programs throughout the globe.

Accutane was brought to market as a treatment for serious acne, and the drug worked well in the context of treating the condition for which it was intended. However, various Accutane side effects have caused grievous health issues for many users, including Accutane IBD—prompting many a call to Accutane attorneys for legal guidance. It should be noted that while Accutane was pulled from the US market in June 2009, the drug is still available in Canada.