Pondimin and Redux have been two of the most prescribed diet drugs in the United States. It is estimated that over 6 million people took the drug before it was recalled in 1997. When used with fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, but anit-obestity drugs, valvular heart disease could be developed by patients.
"On July 9, 1997, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, filed the first national lawsuit alleging that the manufacturers of the diet drugs had failed to properly warn physicians and consumers concerning the dangers of these diet drugs.
On October 7, 1999, American Home Products agreed to a class action settlement valued at as much as $4.75 billion to pay for the claims of patients prescribed Pondimin or Redux. On August 28, 2000, Judge Bechtle granted final approval to the settlement. The AHP settlement provides refunds, testing and compensation to exposed persons with qualifying exposures and/or conditions, including heart damage.
The nationwide Fen-Phen diet drugs class action settlement does not apply to persons suffering from primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), a rare and potentially fatal disease caused by Fen-Phen (Pondimin or Redux). PPH patients must pursue their legal claims in independent lawsuits."
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. "Summary of the Fen Phen Lawsuits." FenPhenLegalResources. Online. 5 August 2005.
"The drug was licensed to American Home Products, now Wyeth. Unfortunately, unforeseen side effects apparently emerged when Redux and Pondimin were combined with another diet drug, phentermine. Patients developed potentially lethal problems with their heart valves. The drug was pulled from the market, and a large number of class-action lawsuits emerged. Wyeth wound up paying all damages--and eventually took charges of more than $14.6 billion to cover the costs."
Harper, Matthew. "Wyeth's Diet Druf Risk Gets Fatter." Forbes.com Online. 16 May 2003.