The Miraculous Failure of Fen-Phen

Fen-Phen hit the market in the early 1990's proclaiming to be the world's leading diet pill for patients who were struggling to lose unwanted weight. Somewhere between six million and seven million people took the miracle drug and for many of them, Fen-Phen provided their weight loss miracle at a terrible price.

Fen-Phen wasn't recalled until 1997 and, since Fen-Phen's destruction on the heart takes years to become a reality, in some cases more than ten, Fen-Phen has been linked to an exorbitant number of cases of the heart condition known as primary pulmonary hypertension. Some cases of PPH lead to disability, while some cases lead to death. An estimated total of thirty to thirty five percent of Fen-Phen users developed PPH after taking the medication, often under the care of a physician.

Fen-Phen class action lawsuits began popping up throughout the court system as more and more evidence pointed directly at Fen-Phen for the heart complications responsible for the disability and death of hundreds of patients. Just as the Fen-Phen class action lawsuits were taking off, the numbers of people inflicted with Fen-Phen related heart disease sky rocketed. Finally, in September of 1997, Fen-Phen was pulled from the market, much too late in the opinions of many.

Fen-Phen lawyers soon began to realize the scope of the epidemic, and within two years a steady stream of cases eligible for Fen-Phen lawsuits claiming negligent marketing leading to injury were walking through the front doors almost daily. Fen-Phen lawyers claim that American Home Products did not do adequate testing and ignored test results that showed a potential for Fen-Phen related injuries. The steady stream of Fen-Phen class action lawsuits being filed by Fen-Phen lawyers prompted American Home Products to establish a fund directly specified for the purpose of paying out Fen-Phen settlements to the victims.

Fen-Phen lawyers are claiming that American Home Products is not the only liable party in the Fen-Phen class action lawsuits. Some Fen-Phen lawyers have attempted to hold the American Food and Drug Administration accountable for allowing Fen-Phen to remain on the market despite the onset of Fen-Phen related illness.

PPH is not readily diagnosable, requiring long term symptoms and a good deal of testing and a long record of the patient's health history. However, as of 1999, most doctors now have a questionnaire relating to heart symptoms which will directly ask if there has been any Fen-Phen use in the last twenty years to help speed up diagnosis.