Key Takeaways:
- A New Zealand teenager, Harry, developed severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after taking the acne medication Isotretinoin, which his family claims has drastically altered his life forever.
- The family is locked in a legal battle with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to get cover for Harry’s OCD, which they believe was caused by the medication.
- The case could set a precedent for similar claims if the family wins in court, potentially leading to more claims being lodged and successful without being challenged.
- Isotretinoin has been linked to numerous reports of psychiatric disorders, including depression, suicidal ideation, and behavioral disorders, but Medsafe does not consider there to be a link between the drug and OCD.
- The family’s claim to the corporation might be considered weak by ACC’s expert witnesses, but the effects they feel are something they both live with every day.
Introduction to the Story
The story of Harry, a teenager who developed severe OCD after taking the acne medication Isotretinoin, is a heart-wrenching one. Nine years ago, Harry was a typical 14-year-old boy who excelled at school and played the piano. However, his life took a drastic turn when he started taking Isotretinoin to treat his acne. Two weeks later, Harry began exhibiting strange behavior, such as not sitting in the car unless a towel was placed on the seat first, and not touching the buttons on the vehicle’s dashboard. These behaviors escalated quickly, and Harry’s doctor lodged a claim for coverage by ACC on the basis that the acne medication may have triggered or caused his OCD.
The Effects of OCD on Harry and His Family
Harry’s OCD has had a profound impact on his life and the lives of his family members. He regularly takes five-hour showers every day, goes through a liter of soap a day, and does a full load of washing every day because he needs to change his clothes every few hours. His father, John, has not been able to touch or hug his son in nine years, and he tries not to even hug his daughter in front of Harry because of the distress it causes him. John says he just wanted a normal life for his son, but now his goals are much simpler, such as being able to have a conversation with him in the lounge. Harry’s OCD has also affected his daily activities, and he no longer plays the piano because he is afraid of touching the keys. Instead, he spends much of his time at his computer, playing chess or gaming, because he knows no one else will touch the keys.
The Link Between Isotretinoin and OCD
While Medsafe notes that there have been over 100 reported cases worldwide of people developing OCD after taking Isotretinoin, it does not consider there to be a link between the drug and the illness. However, one of the leading researchers on the relationship between Isotretinoin and psychiatric disorders, Doug Bremner, gave evidence in support of Harry’s application to receive ACC-funded cover for his illness. Bremner said that based on other cases worldwide, there was a greater-than-50 percent chance that the medication caused the OCD. He also analyzed reports of psychiatric side effects to the United States Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) that listed Isotretinoin as a possible cause and found that the drug was associated with 28,951 reports of psychiatric disorders.
The Legal Battle
John has been fighting to get cover from ACC for his son’s OCD, but the corporation has declined coverage, citing a lack of evidence of a causal link between the drug and the illness. The case has been ongoing for several years, with John taking his case to various courtrooms. In 2025, he had a legal win and was granted leave to appeal the decision by the High Court at Auckland. The case will now be heard in the district court, where John’s counsel, Ron Mansfield KC, will argue that the acne drug damaged Harry’s brain in a single event and that he was, in essence, accidentally injured by it. ACC lawyer Luke Hawes-Ganda has argued that numerous medical experts have found there is no accepted causal link between Isotretinoin and psychiatric disorders generally, let alone OCD.
The Precedent-Setting Case
If John wins in court, it could set a precedent for similar claims. University of Auckland senior law lecturer Nikki Chamberlain specializes in complex litigation and regulatory responses to mass harm and says that there are three ways that a person can get ACC cover for a mental injury: trauma from crimes being committed against them, injury suffered in the workplace, or a mental injury derived from a physical injury. Chamberlain says that if the family were to win in court, it could lead to more claims being lodged in this area and potentially successful without being challenged. She also notes that if the family were to sue the pharmaceutical company directly, it would likely be an expensive and lengthy process through the courts.
Conclusion
Harry’s story is a tragic one, and his family’s fight for justice is ongoing. The case highlights the potential risks associated with Isotretinoin and the need for further research into the link between the drug and psychiatric disorders. As John says, "His life basically came to an end at the age of 14." The family’s claim to the corporation might be considered weak by ACC’s expert witnesses, but the effects they feel are something they both live with every day. The outcome of the case will be closely watched, and it could have significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry and the regulation of medications like Isotretinoin.