When American Home Products introduced Redux (dexfenfluramine) onto the market in 1996 and it was used in concert with the drug phentermine, Fen-Phen, the most amazing diet compound of the 1990’s was born. Thousands of Americans experimented with this new miracle weight loss drug only to be shocked and dismayed when serious health problems and risks were revealed. Ultimately, Fen-Phen led to the deaths of at least 100 people and American Home Products was widely accused of product liability in creating a product that caused disease in consumers.
The Mayo clinic released a study in 1997 revealing that Fen-Phen actually caused a heart valve disease in several people. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is a heart valve disease, also associated with valvular insufficiency, which causes the heart valves to become inflamed making it impossible for the leaflets within the valves to close completely. If the valve leaflets cannot close, they leak blood back across the valves. This leakage forces the heart to work much harder and can ultimately lead to much more serious heart problems. The Mayo clinic discovered the problem when they did 25 heart valve replacement surgeries on Fen-Phen users and discovered a similar heart valve disease in all of them.
Heart valve disease can be treated both with surgery and non-surgical procedures that are appropriate depending on your age, your physical condition and the way your heart is structured. It can lead to more serious heart conditions though and it can lead to problems with your respiratory and circulatory systems. Living with heart valve disease can mean decreased energy, weight gain, shortness of breath, edema (or swelling in your ankles and wrists) and chest pain.
Diseases that are caused as a direct result of a product flaw mean that the company may be liable for compensation and damages under product liability statutes. After Fen-Phen was pulled from the market by the FDA, following the report by the Mayo clinic, there was a rash of lawsuits against American Home Products. There was a large federal class action lawsuit associated with the drug and hundreds of individual lawsuits as well. Ultimately American Home Products chose to settle the class action lawsuit for $3.75 billion dollars while many of the individual lawsuits linger in courts across the country.
In many instances, the statute of limitations may have expired on Fen-Phen lawsuits, but if you have recently been diagnosed with heart valve disease and you used Fen-Phen in the past you may have an actionable claim against American Home Products. You should consult with a qualified product liability attorney and explore the merits of your case. American Home Products manufactured a product with a profound and dangerous design flaw and may therefore be liable for your medical expenses for past and future care, compensation for lost pay or for pain and suffering. An experienced product liability attorney, especially one with experience in disease caused by products should be able to advice you quickly of your rights and help you seek damages if he or she can.