Fen Phen and Redux

Motley Rice has litigated and resolved cases on behalf of clients who have suffered from primary pulmonary hypertension after taking the diet drugs commonly known as FenPhen, Pondimin and/or Redux.

• Fenfluramine (Fen) is sold under the trade name of Pondimin and is made by A.H. Robbins, a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Home Products.
• Phentermine (Phen) is sold under a number of trade names, including Ionamin® (sold by Medeva), Fastin® (SmithKline Beecham), Adipex® (Gate), Banobese® (Seatrace), Obenix® (Abana Pharmaceuticals), Oby-Cap® (Richwood) and Zantryl® (Ion).
• Redux® is manufactured by Interneuron Pharmaceuticals and marketed by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, a subsidiary of American Home products Corporation.

These drugs are no longer available on the market. American Home Products and/or Wyeth, Inc. have settled close to 100,000 lawsuits regarding valvular heart disease resulting from concomitant use of these drugs. Some patients continue to suffer from a rare but often fatal disease known as primary pulmonary hypertension.

If you or a loved one may have suffered from primary pulmonary hypertension after taking Fen-Phen, Pondimin and/or Redux, contact attorney Fred Thompson or Lynn Seithel by email or call +1 800.768.4026.

Drug History and Serious Adverse Reactions

Fen-Phen, a combination of the pharmaceuticals fenfluramine and phentermine, has been prescribed "off label" for the management of obesity. Off label is the prescribing of any pharmaceutical in any manner other than that which is described on the FDA-approved label. Fenfluramine and phentermine individually were approved for the treatment of obesity as appetite suppressants in the 1970s. They were not, however, approved for concomitant administration.

Redux® (dexfenfluramine hydrochloride capsules) is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor and releasing agent. This drug is also used as an appetite suppressant for the treatment of obesity. Redux® was originally approved by the FDA on April 29, 1996. Dexfenfluramine is a purified form of fenfluramine.

On July 8, 1997, the FDA warned consumers about reports of valvular heart disease in women treated for obesity with Fen-Phen. Although fenfluramine and phentermine were approved as individual agents for short-term use in the medical management of obesity, their use together was never approved in the United States. Health care providers have used the combined product in an "off label" use by healh care providers.

On September 15, 1997, the FDA announced the withdrawal of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine (Redux) from the U.S. market. The withdrawal was based on a study that showed abnormal echocardiograms with 30 percent of patients taking Fen-Phen.