Diet Drug Meridia

Despite the obsession with dieting and exercise nearly 20% of the American population is affected by obesity. The pharmaceutical companies have made billions of dollars trying to capitalize on the continually growing problem of obesity our nation is facing with newer and more dramatic weight loss pills.

Americans thought that they were getting just that when in 1997 the FDA approved the diet drug Meridia, generically known as sibutramine, to the market. The FDA approval of the diet drug Meridia came one year after the FDA’s own advisory board voted against releasing Meridia to the U.S. market 5-4 because they did not feel the benefits of the weight loss pill outweighed the risks.

The release of the diet drug Meridia closely followed the previously recalled diet drug fen phen that was linked to fatal heart valve damage and PPH (primary pulmonary hypertension) that just recently had its Nationwide Class Action Settlement Agreement become final for the deaths and injuries that occurred in the estimated 6-7 million Americans that took the diet drug. Abbott Laboratories, the manufacturer of the diet drug Meridia, immediately marketed the weight loss pill as a preemptive strike to critics by trying to differentiate their product from fen phen.

In January 2001, the FDA demands changes because advertising and promotional materials that the diet drug Meridia manufacturer produces promises their products can be more effective than evidence suggests. At the end of the year, in December, Britain’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin published by the Consumers’ Association warns that the diet drug Meridia has limited benefits along with unwanted side effects. The Meridia side effects mentioned include increased heart rates and blood pressure.

It is not until March 2002 that dangerous side effects of the diet drug Meridia are once again reviewed. Italy is the first country to take sibutramine off the shelves in response to the 50 reports of health related problems made. The temporary ban of sibutramine in the Italian market prompts a Europe-wide review of the weight loss pill. Later, more reports of Meridia linked deaths occur in Britain, as well as hundreds of adverse reactions that continue to surface around the world. The diet drug Meridia is currently being sold in 70 countries.

March 19, 2002, Public Citizen consumer advocacy group petitions the FDA for the immediate removal of the diet drug Meridia from the market. Public Citizen director Dr. Sidney Wolfe states that “there is no evidence that this drug has prolonged the life of a single patient, or reduced the risks of strokes or heart attacks tied to obesity.” Abbott continues to maintain Meridia is an effective and necessary aid to obesity.

Almost 20 million Americans have taken at least one of the five drugs that were withdrawn from the market in the year from September 1997-1998. Adverse drug reactions are believed to be a leading cause of death in the U.S. Public Citizen has petitioned four other FDA approved drugs since 1996 and three of the drugs ended up being banned and one put on the severely restricted list. The consumer watch group has identified the diet drug Meridia to pose as the same level of risk that has so far resulted in the deaths of at least 29 Americans. Less than 10% of all adverse reactions to prescription drugs are estimated reported to the FDA, leading many to believe the number of actual Meridia deaths and serious health complications experienced are severely underestimated.

If you have taken the diet drug Meridia and would like to learn more about your legal rights, please contact us.