Fen-Phen: A Lawyers Perspective

Fen-phen, a diet drug consisting of fenfluramine and phentermine, had been considered safe for many years until the FDA requested its removal from store shelves in 1997. Rising reports of heart valve disease and pulmonary hypertension caused the FDA to take the action against Fen-phen, particularly after echocardiograms of women who had ingested the drug indicated a 30% rate of heart valve abnormality, even though no other symptoms had been reported. Fen-phen has also been pinpointed as the drug responsible for causing dozens of cases of a rare valvular disease in women, as reported by the Mayo Clinic in July, 1997. Identification of this condition caused doctors to begin to warn their patients of the dangerous risks. These conditions could occur as a result of using
Fen-phen.

You could be compensated in a Fen-phen class-action lawsuit if you have suffered as a result of using this drug. And you should know the facts.

Fen-phen decreased hunger by increasing Seratonin levels in the brain, which then caused the user to have feelings of fullness or satiety. Fenfluramine (Fen) the first ingredient in the drug, when used alone was shown to cause severe mood swings and depression. So, phentermine (phen) was added to Fen, because it effectively counterbalanced depression and the two drugs working as one were able to stave off hunger, without any of the resultant emotional problems. But, it was found that the combination of these two ingredients in Fen-phen were not safe, and severe health consequences resulted from patient usage, despite Fen-phen lawyers, arguing there was no connection. As a result of these findings Fen-phen class-action lawsuits have grown to over 500,000 since
April, 2005, according to American Lawyer magazine, and Fen-phen lawyers should only anticipate more filings to come.

Not only was heart disease directly linked with the use of Fen-phen, heart valve disease was also associated with Fen-phen. In fact, just after proving the direct connection between heart disease and the use of Fen-phen, 66 reports were received proving the correlation between Fen-phen and heart valve disease too. But, frighteningly, patients who had ingested only either fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine exhibited the same alarming symptoms as those who had ingested both drugs, and finally, in April, 2004, Fen-phen went off the market completely. But, defense lawyers against the makers of the drug still continue to file Fen-phen class-action lawsuits even today, representing victims whose total liability could reach as high as $14 billion.

A Fen-phen settlement is still possible for you or a loved one. Fen-phen lawyers defending Wyeth, the pharmaceutical company and distributor of the drug lost their defense, and Wyeth was found completely responsible for the damages caused to users, enabling two plaintiffs in Philadelphia to receive $100 million each in a Fen-phen settlement. Contact a lawyer immediately if you have suffered from any negative health conditions resulting from the usage of Fen-phen and if you believe a Fen-phen settlement is due to you.