Acne drug blamed for son's death

Daily Mail Reporter

Sept 21, 2005

A HEARTBROKEN mother yester­day blamed the death of her son on a drug he was given for his acne.

David Roberts, 20, was found hanged in a park near his home three months after he began taking regular doses of Roaccutane.

His mother Anne told an inquest the family believe the medication had caused depression which went undetected.

David, an A-level student, started a course of Roaccutane in November 2004 after it was pre­scribed by dermatologist Dr Arun Baratti at Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool.

According to his family, he showed no sign of depression, but displayed some erratic behaviour. On February 4 this year, he was found hanging from a tree in the park.

Dr Baratti told the Liverpool hearing he was aware of rare side-effects of Roaccutane, including suicidal tendencies and potential for self-harm and patients were told to look out for such symptoms. Roaccutane's maker, Roche Pharmaceuticals, was notified to attend the inquest and rebuked by coroner Andre Rebello for failure to do so.

He recorded a rare 'narrative verdict' saying there was no clear evidence David had intended to take his own life. He added: 'It is not possible to collate a relationship between the medication and David's depression with­out scientific evidence.'