PPT Slide
Accutane, Vitamin A & Psychiatric Disorders
Accutane is an analog of Vitamin A.
Hypervitaminosis A which results from ingestion of large amounts of Vitamin A is known to cause psychiatric illness (‘Pseudotumor Cerebri/ Psychosis/Hypervitaminosis A. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 155, 72-75, 1972). Considering the close relationship between Accutane and Vitamin A it is not surprising that Accutane treatment results in psychiatric side effects.
Therefore the manufacturers of Accutane, Roche/ Hoffman La Roche, would have been able to predict with reasonable certainty, the main side effects caused by Accutane including psychiatric side effects and teratogenicity
In fact, the current package insert for Accutane in the USA states:
‘Many of the side effects and adverse reactions seen or expected in patients receiving Accutane are similar to those described in patients taking high doses of Vitamin A’