Health effects of acne-drug in Atlanta court

A legal case about the adverse health effects of the anti-acne drug Accutane is in a federal appeals court today in Atlanta.

A judge will hear arguments over whether a US district court judge in Florida should have dismissed testimony from an expert witness who says the drug is linked to medical problems. The argument is central to the case for nine plaintiffs who say the medications caused adverse health effects.

Similar lawsuits against the medication distributor La Roche have had some success. A Florida jury awarded 7 million dollars in 2007 to a man who had most of his colon removed after suffering from a disease apparently caused by Accutane. The company is appealing the decision. In April, a Utah jury awarded a woman 10 million dollars, saying the manufacturer downplayed the drug’s risks.