PPH Class Action Lawsuit Prompted by FDA Diet Pill Recall

Settlement From Lawsuit Cost Makers Of Fen Phen Billions

Since the late nineties when the link between Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) and the diet drug Fen Phen became evident, the PPH class action suit has been a fixture in U.S. courts. The first related legal proceedings began after September 15, 1997, when the American Home Products Corporation recalled its drugs Pondimin (fenfluramine) and Redux (dexfenfluramine) from the market due to a formal request from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Fen Phen, which was broadly prescribed for weight loss, is a combination of the drugs Pondimin and Phentermine. The FDA’s recall came following clinical trials at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota that found that the drug combination resulted in a 23-fold increase in cases of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, and showed 24 cases of its leading to a rare valvular heart disease. Because it was administered to over 18 million people in 1996 alone, lawsuits became prevalent.

That 1997 recall resulted in over 11,000 cases being filed against the company. Patients in the majority of the lawsuits sought monetary damages in connection with irreversible pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease, and other adverse conditions. The PPH class action settlements resulting from the lawsuits cost the company $4.83 billion, the largest product settlement of any kind to date. An FDA reviewer stated American Home Products was aware of the danger of taking the medication and failed to report those concerns.

Fenfluramine and Phentermine were individually approved by the agency as a prescription for appetite suppressant. However, when these are used in combination, they pose a considerable health threat. The combination was never approved and yet, before the product was recalled, over 6 million Americans had taken one or the other. In 1996, over 18 million took them together. When the connection became clear, the legal actions began.

Medical experts have testified that there is a potential latency of 10 to 20 years from the last dosage until the onset of symptoms. Therefore, many people who took the weight loss drug over a decade ago are just beginning to experience adverse effects, resulting in a new round of legal proceedings. Cardiologists have urged former users to see their doctors in order to be screened for valvular heart disease or Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, as both diseases can prove fatal. Treatment can prove costly due to the chronic nature of the disease. The manufacturer has said that as many as 70,000 lawsuits have been filed so far. Symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Fainting
• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing blood
• Blue lips, hands and feet

The exact cause of the disease has yet to be established. The relative rarity has so far made it a challenge to identify (approximately one to two cases appear per million people). A genetic link has been noted, and some scientists believe that people who develop it have blood vessels that are particularly sensitive to factors that trigger the disease. Still, it has been shown that the diet products in question account for a 30% increase. For over a decade, personal injury lawyers have been pursuing litigation for compensation of monetary losses and general pain and suffering.

Learn more about your legal rights. If you have ever used this product, and feel at any time that you are exhibiting the symptoms listed above, the knowledgeable attorneys at a PPH law firm will be able to advise you as to whether your situation is appropriate for litigation.  Though finding the right lawyer can sometimes seem like a daunting task, using a directory like LegalTube may be able to help you find a firm in your area that has experience in product liability suits.