Court rejects acne drug firm’s bid to halt case

THE Supreme Court has rejected a bid by a pharmaceutical group to stop a father bringing a case against it alleging wrongful death following the suicide of his 20-year-old son.

Liam Grant claims his son, Liam Junior’s, suicide was a side effect of his use, for the treatment of acne, of the drug Roaccutane, manufactured by RP Scherer Ltd company, based in England, and promoted and distributed here by Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd.

Mr Grant, 60, of Wainsfort Manor Drive, Terenure, Dublin, suing on his own behalf and on behalf of other family members, some years ago initiated proceedings against Roche Products (Ireland) Ltd, RP Scherer, a number of other Roche companies, the Irish Medicines Board and a consultant dermatologist who prescribed the drug Roaccutane to Mr Grant’s son.

The defendants deny the claims.

Delivering the three-judge Supreme Court’s decision yesterday allowing the case to proceed, Mr Justice Adrian Hardiman said the constitutional right to life of Liam Grant Junior could be vindicated only by hearing, in accordance with law, his father’s claim that his son’s death was caused by the “wrongdoing” of the defendants and by the court accepting or rejecting that claim after a proper hearing.