Defective Drugs – Fen Phen

One of the really high profile defective drugs in recent years as been the diet drug Fen Phen. Fen Phen is the name given to the combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, the main ingredients in prescription drugs used as appetite suppressants, or for the short-term management of obesity.

The drug was effective in controlling appetite and was thus a popular alternative to dieting for obese patients. The Mayo Clinic was the first to report patients that had developed unusual heart valve disease after taking Fen Phen. Medical reports since have proven that long-term use of the drug can lead to irreparable heart valve damage. However, no collaborating evidence of heart valve disease could be found in patients who only took phentermine.

The drug company Wyeth, formerly American Home Products, manufactured the diet drugs Pondimin and Redux, which contained fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine. In 1997, the company voluntarily withdrew the drugs from the market at the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA subsequently recommended that patients stop taking the drugs. Wyeth settled a class action lawsuit of a group of Fen Phen users in January 2002. However, there are still patients that have suffered from taking ‘Fen Phen’ drugs in the past and have not been compensated. If this includes you, or a member of your family, there is a strong possibility of bringing litigation against the company that manufactured the diet drugs used.