General Causation Expert Can Testify in Accutane Suicide Cases

TAMPA, Fla. - A doctor who has studied the effect that Accutane has on the brain can offer his testimony on the link between the acne drug and suicide, a federal judge has ruled. In Re: Accutane Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 1626 (M.D. Fla.).

Judge James S. Moody Jr. on Aug. 13 rejected a motion to exclude the testimony of Dr. J. Douglas Bremner, the plaintiffs' sole expert on general causation, despite allegations that Bremner's study of Accutane was initiated and paid for by the plaintiffs for whom he is now testifying.

The inclusion of Bremner's testimony means that …