Fenphen weight loss drug - Medical alert

Fenphen (Fen-Phen) was an extremely popular anti-obesity drug intended to cause the reduction of weight in obese persons.  However, persons who were prescribed this drug was not always severely obese and should not have been administered Fenphen.  This was due in part to the marketing efforts of the manufacturer and the unnecessary prescription of the drug to patients.

Fenphen was conceived by the company American Home Products (AHP) of Madison, N.J. and its pharmaceutical division Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories(Wyeth).  The drug Fenphen is actually a mixture of the drugs fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine and phentermine.  AHP developed and marketed fenfluramine, the "fen" in Fenphen.  This drug was marketed under the name Pondimin.  Wyeth, an AHP subsidiary, manufactured dexfenfluramine for Interneuron Pharmaceuticals.  This drug was marketed under the name of Redux.  Phentermine, in various forms, is manufactured by several pharmaceutical companies.  It is the combination of these drugs, creating Fenphen, which causes the greatest problems in patients.

In 1997 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked AHP to remove Pondimin and Redux from the market.  The request was based on FDA studies which linked Pondimin or Redux to potentially fatal heart valve damage and pulmonary hypertension.  The Mayo Clinic determined that potentially one-third of all Fenphen users would experience symptoms from heart valve disease, based upon patient research.  The study excluded other potential causes of valve disease, linking Fenphen use to the disease.  Other debilitating side effects are associated with Fenphen use.

Additionally, studies have linked fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine to an increased incidence of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH).  This disease causes a narrowing of blood vessels in the lungs.  It is treatable, however, the treatments can be extremely expensive, debilitating, and require major surgery.  The treatments of PPH may include taking anticoagulants, diuretics, calcium channel blockers (increasing heart pumping efficiency), or drugs to reduce arterial pressure (to reduce stress on the heart).  In severe cases, lung, heart, or dual lung/heart transplants may be required.  Studies have also linked fenfluramine to serious regurgitant cardiac valvular disease (disease of the mitral, aortic, and/or tricuspid valves).  In one study group, one-sixth of patients with valvular disease required surgery to correct the problem.  Together, these detrimental effects can seriously affect the long-term health of those who have taken Fenphen.

Other symptoms of Fenphen use include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Dizziness, fainting, and weakness
• Fatigue

AHP subsequently agreed to remove these products from the market.  In 1999 AHP announced it would pay $4.8 billion to settle lawsuits over injuries related to Redux, Pondimin, and Fenphen use.  There were approximately six million persons who have taken Fenphen and therefore may be able to recover from this settlement amount.  Compensation may be in the form of drug refunds or payments for injuries sustained.  However, many persons who took Fenphen have not participated in the settlement agreement at this time.  Some users may not be aware of any injury at this time while others may consider their particular injury to require more compensation than the settlement share offered by AHP will provide.  Thus, the decision to participate in the settlement or obtain representation for an injury is an important one.  We can assist you in making this determination.

If you need assistance with a Fenphen related injury or want to determine if you can receive compensation for your injury please contact us

NAME	DESCRIPTION
American Home Products Corporation(AHP)	The manufacturer of Redux, commonly known as Fenphen.
Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories	Wyeth-Ayerst is the pharmaceutical division of AHP.
AHP Settlement Site	Official AHP Settlement Site.
Fenphen Information	Information about Fenphen use from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Fenphen Questions and Answers	Questions and Answers about Fenphen from the FDA (11/13/1997).
Fenphen Withdrawal Press Release	The FDA Announces the withdrawal of Fenphen from the US market (9/15/1997).
National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health	Information from the National Library of Medicine.
InteliHealth- Fenphen	Searchable directory from InteliHealth, an Aetna Company.
Recalled Drugs - Fenphen	Information on the recalled drug Phen-Fen.
The Fenphen Newsletter	The purpose of his site is to bring awareness to users on the facts about Fenphen use.
Pulmonary Hypertension Association	Information on Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) from
PPH-Info.com	Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) Information.  Some PPH instances are attributed to Fenphen use.

If you need assistance with a Fenphen related injury or want to determine if you can receive compensation for your injury please contact us