The dad of a 26-year-old who took his own life after taking a controversial acne drug has warned a new study into its potential risks “does not go far enough”.

Melvin Sillcock, who lives in Sittingbourne, has spent the last decade calling for Isotretinoin to be “completely” removed from the shelves.

Melvin’s son James started taking the drug, often prescribed under the brand name Roaccutane, at the age of 16 to help clear up a skin problem but stopped 18 months later.

While it helped to clear his teenage son's spots, Melvin said a "physical and mental deterioration" set in soon afterwards and he began suffering anxiety, fatigue and blurred vision.

James was found dead at his family home in Scoones Close, Bapchild, by his father on December 9, 2012 after suffocating himself in his bedroom.

A year later an inquest into James's death heard how he penned a 20-page letter to his parents in which he blamed his mental state on the drug - saying his life had been "perfect", but the drug left his world "in tatters".

However, the latest review into the treatment has concluded that the benefits of the drug, which is prescribed to treat severe acne, still outweigh the risks – although extra measures should be taken to improve safety.

But Melvin, a photographer wo has has been campaigning against the drug for ten years and has attended two debates in Parliament, doesn’t believe the recommendations go far enough.

The 71-year-old wants to see the drug dropped completely. He said: “It’s not something to go on lightly.

“You can’t go on it unless you go to a dermatologist anyway, and they will just point out really briefly the side effects.

“I went with my son when he went on it, yes he was advised there were suicidal possibilities but he was a 16-year-old strong lad, who was happy with life. Why would he want to commit suicide?

“He didn’t know then that the Vitamin A in the drug would cause him so many problems. You get overdosed with Vitamin A and that is more of a serious problem – not everybody is effected though, that’s the other thing.

Melvin added: “Dermatologists will put you on it just for a whim, and the side effects are awful.

“...he should never have been put on it in the first place, he suffered awfully.”

“If you’ve got serious acne it will get rid of it, but he didn’t have serious acne to be honest, he had mild acne so he should never have been put on it in the first place, he suffered awfully.”

After starting the drug, James became anxious, fatigued and had problems with his vision, his dad said.

Taking the drug can also trigger sexual dysfunction.

On Wednesday, April 26, health chiefs announced new warnings regarding Roaccutane.

A report has now been published, reviewing the suspected psychiatric and sexual side effects to Isotretinoin.

Doctors must now fully discuss the risks it could pose to patients' mental and sexual health before prescribing it.

As well as this, two prescribers now need to sign off on giving the drug to under-18s under new safety measures.

Anyone taking it will be encouraged to tell family members and friends, so they can be checked up on.

As well as this, the product information should be strengthened to include new warnings about sexual dysfunction which can continue after stopping taking the drug.

No new action is currently needed from patients and healthcare professionals while the process for implementing these recommendations is being finalised.

In response to this, Melvin said: “It’s a step in the right direction, people need to be aware of how bad the drug really is.”

But he added: “There’s a group of us sadly with the same problem, nobody thought the outcome was satisfactory or what we really wanted.

“I would like to see the drug just go completely and for them to put the money into something different...”

“I was just very disappointed, we’ve waited two years for the outcome of this report and we’ve all contributed to the report and given all our details, and we don’t seem to be much further forward than we were then.

“I didn’t think it went far enough, it was all recommendations – and how long do recommendations take to follow through?

“I would like to see the drug just go completely and for them to put the money into something different.”

Melvin believes giving the drug to 16-year-olds is “irresponsible”, adding: “the biggest problem is you don’t think it’s going to happen to you until it does.

“It’s like when you take aspirin or anything else, you don’t read the warnings or you read the warnings and you take them very mildly most probably.

“But with this drug, it needs to be emphasised how dangerous it is.”

According to Mail Online, 82 suicides have been linked to the acne drug in Britain.

However, the report concluded that the overall balance of risks and benefits for isotretinoin “remains favourable” but further action should be taken to “ensure patients are fully informed about isotretinoin and are effectively monitored during and after treatment”.

Melvin added: “Once you’ve taken the drug and you get the wrong reaction, you can’t get rid of it – it’s in you for life.

“I think it should just be taken off the market and they should do a lot more research to find an alternative.

“It’s one of those drugs that’s like Russian roulette – you may get away with it, but if you don’t, you cannot get it out of your system.”

Roche, which manufactures Roaccutane, said it had already taken steps to implement the recommendations from the review.

It said: "Millions of patients worldwide have taken Roaccutane, but like all medications, it can have side effects.

"This report supports our longstanding recommendation that it is prescribed very carefully, that patients are fully informed as to what to expect when they take it and that they are monitored closely to ensure they get the ongoing care they need."