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Fen-Phen Side Effects Could Result In Primary Pulmonary Hypertension Lawsuits

Fen-Phen | Lawsuits, Lawyers | Side Effects: Heart Valve Disease, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)

Fen Phen or Pondimin (Generic: Fenfluramine) and (Generic: Dexfenfluramine), has been linked to Heart Valve Disease and Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH). Fen Phen was a popular appetite suppressant drug prescribed to people wishing to lose weight.

Withdrawal from the Market

In 1997, the FDA asked Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories (American Home Products) the makers of Pondimin (Fenfluramine) and Redux (Dexfenfluramine), to withdraw its popular anti-obesity drugs from the market. American Home Products Corp. of Madison, N.J. manufactured fenfluramine under the brand name Pondimin. An American Home Products subsidiary Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories manufactured Dexfenfluramine for Interneuron Pharmaceuticals under the name of Redux. Medical studies have linked Pondimin or Redux to heart valve disease.

Study Results

The FDA stated that in findings from doctors who evaluated patients taking Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine with echo-cardiograms, approximately 30 percent of patients had abnormal echo-cardiograms, even though they had no symptoms. This is a much higher than expected percentage of abnormal test results. Additionally, a Mayo Clinic study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on August 28, 1997 suggested that as high as one-third of a patient sampling of Fen-Phen diet pill users had evidence of heart valve disease. The study found that there was a high incidence of heart valve disease in patients taking these diet pills, without any other known reason for valve disease. In addition to heart valve disease, the use of Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine has been found to increase the risk of developing Primary Pulmonary Hypertension or (PPH). PPH is a rare disease of that causes the progressive narrowing of the blood vessels of the lungs. Studies estimate that treatment with certain appetite suppressant drugs tends to increase the chances of developing PPH by approximately 25 to 30%.

Legal Help for Fen Phen Victims

If you or a loved one took Fen Phen and suffered side effects, please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified drug side effects attorney or call us at 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).