Lawyers suing the makers of Accutane over allegations the acne drug increases the risk of suicide cannot share the company’s internal memos and other documents with the public or federal regulators, a judge ruled Friday. The attorneys had sought to make public as many as 1 million documents produced by Hoffman-La Roche Inc., saying the disclosure was needed as Accutane’s safety comes under increased scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration U.S. District Judge James Moody rejected the request, saying attorneys could ask the court to open up records if they discover a matter of public safety as they prepare their cases. But in a victory for the plaintiffs, he said the drug maker cannot redact documents before handing them over to the attorneys.
