Isotretinoin: New safety measures recommended for anti-acne drug which 'can cause suicide'

A number of people have died by suicide while taking the drug isotretinoin while others have reported depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms.

Meanwhile, cases of sexual dysfunction have also been reported by patients who have been prescribed the medicine and in some cases symptoms have continued after patients have stopped taking the drug.

The new review into the treatment, which is also known as Roaccutane, has concluded that the benefits of the drug, which is prescribed to treat severe acne, still outweigh the risks but extra measures should be taken to improve safety.

Teenager Annabel Wright took her own life six months after being prescribed a drug to treat her acne.

Annabel, 15, was found in her bedroom at her home near Ripon, North Yorkshire in May 2019.

Last year, Jonathan Leach, the assistant coroner for North Yorkshire, ruled out a direct link between Annabel’s death and isotretinoin but her parents insisted their daughter died “without warning and without any mitigating circumstances other than she was taking a drug which can cause suicide”.

The new review into the drug by the Commission on Human Medicines said that the drug is an effective treatment for severe acne which has not responded to usual treatments.

The expert group said that the gaps in the available evidence mean that it was not possible to say that isotretinoin definitely caused many of the short-term or long-term psychiatric and sexual side effects reported by patients.

The authors of the new report wrote: “The review concluded that the overall balance of risks and benefits for isotretinoin remains favourable but further action should be taken to ensure patients are fully informed about isotretinoin and are effectively monitored during and after treatment.”

Officials made a number of recommendations to improve safety surrounding the medicine, which will be taken forward by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).