Fen-Phen Diet Drug Lawsuits Filed in Texas

The use of Fen-Phen, a combination of the drugs fenfluramine (Pondimin) and phentermine (Fastin), has been associated with serious medical complications that include valvular heart disease (damaged heart valves, usually the mitral and aortic valves), PPH (Primary Pulmonary Hypertension) and neuropsychological side effects.

There may still be many individuals with undiagnosed complications resulting from the use of these drugs. During the 1990s, millions of American used this combination of drugs to assist with weight loss.

Fen-Phen Cases in Texas:

Numerous Fen-Phen lawsuits have been filed by Fen-Phen attorneys across the country on behalf of people who were afflicted with various complications.

Bloomberg News reported that more than 175,000 claims had been filed since Fen-Phen was removed from the market, and that in the preceding 9 years, Wyeth had settled numerous claims before lawsuits were filed.

On August 7, 1999, a jury delivered the first verdict against the manufacturer of one of these drugs, American Home Products. The award was for $23 million, but was settled for a fraction of this amount during an appeal.

American Home Products subsequently decided to negotiate a class action settlement that was originally for $3.75 billion, but was later increased to $4.75 billion.

On May 24, 2006, Reuters News reported that Wyeth had set aside more than $21 billion to cover legal costs and settlements since they withdrew fenfluramine (Pondimin) and dexfenfluramine (Redux) from the market.

Approximately 500,000 people chose to pursue an alternate tact by filing claims in state courts, including Oregon, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, West Virginia, and Texas.

On April 7, 2001, a Texas jury awarded $11.5 million in compensatory damages and $45 million in punitive damages to a woman related to her claim. The court reduced the amount to $8.2 million plus $1 million in pre-trial interest. The case was ultimately settled for an unknown amount.

In April of 2004, the family of a Texas woman who died from complications associated with her use of Fen-Phen was awarded $1.03 billion by a jury in Beaumont, Texas. The jury found that the company who manufactured the responsible drug, Wyeth, was responsible for her death four years after she had taken the drug over an eight month period.

This award included $113 million in compensatory damages and $900 million in punitive damages.

Since the diagnosis of some of the complications associated with the use of Fen-Phen is complicated, and many sufferers may be without symptoms, there are likely a large number of people who suffered damages related to the use of these drugs. Fen-Phen attorneys are likely to be filing countless additional Fen-Phen lawsuits in the future.