The pharmaceutical company Roche announced that it will stop manufacturing the
acne fighting drug Accutane.
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Accutane is the generic name for Isotretinoin.
Isotretinoin, available since the last 1970's, was and is a major
breakthrough drug for the treatment of severe cystic acne. Prior to
the availability of isotretinoin, patients with cystic acne often
experienced years of disfiguring scarring disease. Cystic acne many
times failed to respond to multiple course of treatment including
antibiotics, surgeries and light treatments.
Accutane has been
the subject of considerable controversy due to the recognized risk of
birth defects if taken by a pregnant woman. Other known side effects
include dry skin, dry lips (cheilitis), achy joints, dry eyes,
decreased night vision and elevation of blood triglycerides. Accutane
has also been possibly linked to depresssion and inflammatory bowel
disease.
Isotretinoin use must be closely monitored by a
physician. Patients, as well as pharmacists and prescribing physicians
must be registed with the government sponsored IPledge program, which
was developed to limit the number of birth defects from women taking
isotretinoin while pregnant.
Roche news indicates that Accutane
production was stopped due to increasing competition from generic
isotretinoin. Generic isotretinoin names include: Sotret, Claravis and
Amnesteem.
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