Houston
Fen-Phen Lawyer Christian Hill
Let Houston personal injury lawyer Christian Hill fight your Fen-Phen personal injury case for you. Houston personal injury lawyer Christian Hill and his legal team at the Houston law firm Christian Hill and Associates are experienced personal injury lawyers, and will fight your Fen-Phen personal injury case for you.
Personal injury law is our specialty at Christian Hill and Associates. We have collected millions of dollars for personal injury victims. Having an experienced Houston personal injury lawyer is important, especially when dealing with a difficult class action case such as Fen-Phen.
Fen-Phen Personal Injury
On September 15, at the request of the Food and Drug Administration, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories and Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, which manufactured and marketed fenfluramine under the brand name Pondimin and dexfenfluramine under the brand name Redux, voluntarily withdrew these products from the market. The withdrawal was based on initial echocardiographic findings in five surveys indicating that approximately 30 percent of patients in these surveys who took these drugs had valvular abnormalities, even though most had no symptoms. This is apparently much higher than would be expected in the general population, where additional preliminary reports suggest that significant valvular regurgitation occurs in less than five percent of the general population of young and middle-aged adults in the United States.
"Since these drugs (fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine) were withdrawn from the U.S. market last September, many people who took them have been asking what they should do", said FDA's lead deputy commissioner Michael Friedman, M.D. "We in the government, together with the medical community,have developed these recommendations to provide guidance based on the best information we have at this time." The recommendations are based on current knowledge about the association of these drugs with the development of heart valvular disease. The valvular damage can cause regurgitation " a backflow of blood into a heart chamber " that may in some cases lead to heart and lung disease. Of immediate concern for patients with valvular disease is the possible increased risk of bacterial endocarditis " an often serious and potentially fatal infection of the heart's lining " following certain invasive medical and dental procedures. Until more complete information is available, HHS recommends the following measures for people who have taken fenfluramine ordexfenfluramine.
* Anyone who has taken fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine for any period
of time, either alone or with another drug or drugs, should see their
doctor for a medical history and physical
examination to determine whether there are signs or symptoms of heart
or lung disease.
* Anyone who has taken these drugs for any period of time, either alone or with another drug or drugs, who has signs or symptoms of heart or lung disease, such as a new heart murmur or shortness of breath, should have an echocardiogram performed.
* An echocardiogram should be strongly considered for any patient who has taken these drugs, either alone or with another drug or drugs " regardless of whether they have signs and symptoms of the heart or lung diseases " BEFORE having any invasive procedure for which the American Heart Association recommends antibiotic prophylactic treatment to prevent the development of bacterial endocarditis. This will provide an accurate determination of whether or not the person needs the antibiotic treatment.
These interim recommendations may be updated as new information becomes available.
Studies are underway and others planned to learn more about the clinical significance of these findings, the natural course of the valvular lesions (that is, whether they generally disappear, become worse, or stay the same once the drugs are stopped), and what factors, if any, may increase an individual's susceptibility to their development. More information is available on FDA's (website) and on CDC's (website)
Fen-Phen Resources
FDA Announces Withdrawal Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine
Cardiac Valvulopathy Associated with Exposure to Fenfluramine or Dexfenfluramine
Fen-Phen Information
Fen-Phen Questions and Answers
Fen-Phen Data "FDA Analysis of Cardiac Valvular Dysfunction in Patients Treated with Appetite Suppressants"
Questions and Answers Concerning Interim Recommendations for Patients
FDA " Safety-Based Drug Withdrawals, 1997-2001
Don't Be A Personal Injury Victim
If you have suffered a personal injury from one of these products, it's important to protect your rights. Contact a Houston personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. A personal injury lawyer at Houston law firm Christian Hill and Associates will evaluate your personal injury case at no cost to you. If we determine you have a personal injury claim, we will handle your case aggressively, and you pay absolutely nothing unless we win your personal injury case.
Act Now To Protect Your Rights
Your personal injury case is subject to the statute of limitations. If you don't act now you may lose your right to compensation for the personal injury you have sustained. Contact Houston personal injury lawyer Christian Hill at the law firm of Christian Hill and Associates as soon as possible.
