The drug Accutane is a prescription medication that is used to treat the severe cases of acne that are unresponsive to traditional therapies or topical treatments. Because of the widespread prevalence of acne, Accutane has become a hugely profitable drug. Approved by the FDA in 1982, the drug has been used by millions of patients looking for acne relief.

In 1998, evidence began to emerge suggesting that Accutane could lead to dangerous suicidal depressions in some patients, prompting the FDA to advise doctors of this risk. However, the drug remains one of the most prescribed medications on the market today.

According to recent reports, there have been at least 66 suicides and over 1,300 sever psychiatric episodes linked to Accutane as of December 2000. While the packaging of Accutane contained a warning about a possible link between the drug and depression, the warning did not address the potentially suicidal nature of these disturbances until 1999.

As well as being linked to severe and potentially life-threatening depressive episodes, Accutane is also widely known to cause serious birth defects. The drug is so powerful that women of childbearing years are generally prescribed birth control while taking the medication in order to reduce the risk of having a severely disabled child. These women are also advised to hold off for at least a year after using the medication before trying to conceive in order to fully avoid these devastating effects.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of dangerous and potentially fatal effects from Accutane usage, you should speak with an experienced defective drug attorney as soon as possible in order to explore your legal options. Don't allow the statutes of limitations to run out before you get the answers that you deserve. Call an Accutane lawyer today.