Link between acne drug and depression not found

A popular acne-fighting drug that has been linked to birth defects and is being monitored for ties to suicide did not cause depression in a group of adolescents, researchers have found.

Roche’s Accutane, which is also sold in generic versions as isotretinoin, was given to 59 patients, and their overall incidence of depression declined.

There were only a few new cases of depression that showed up among those taking the drug, about the same as in a control group receiving a more conservative acne therapy, said the study published in the May issue of Archives of Dermatology.

The Food and Drug Administration is monitoring the drug to determine if it causes depression and suicide, but the report echoed previous arguments that acne itself could be a cause of “significant psychological stress.”