Accutane
Letter from Dr. Russell Ellison, V.P. Medical Affairs, Roche Laboratories, to Representative Bart Stupak.
October 6, 2000
The Honorable Bart Stupak
United States House of Representatives
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-2201
Dear Representative Stupak:
First and foremost, on behalf of Roche, I want to express the deepest sympathy for your family's loss, and that of any family who endures the profound tragedy of a young person's suicide. We believe it is both necessary and understandable that any possible cause of such an event must be considered.
Roche is a responsible and ethical company, and the safety of our products is of paramount importance. Throughout the past eighteen years we have remained committed to carefully monitoring the use of Accutane. We have always worked closely with the Food and Drug Administration, the dermatologic community, and other health professionals to assure the safe and effective use of this important prescription medication.
As you may know, Roche recently presented a comprehensive analysis of the psychiatric adverse events in the Accutane-treated patient population to the Food and Drug Administration's Dermatologic and Opthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee. We would appreciate the opportunity to review this information with you at your earliest convenience. We would also be prepared to discuss our current efforts and ongoing plans to address this complex scientific issue.
I will contact your office today to discuss the scheduling of such a meeting. It is our hope that we can create a dialogue through which we can address your concerns and questions about the safety of Accutane.
Sincerely,
Russell H. Ellison, M.D.
Vice President, Medical Affairs
Roche Pharmaceuticals
