Diet Drugs; Fen-Phen/Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)

Williams Love O'Leary & Powers, P.C. has represented individuals with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) and heart valve damage who took Fen-Phen, a combination of prescription diet pills that became hugely popular in the mid- to late-1990s, or Pondimin or Redux, the two Wyeth drugs that caused the cardiovascular toxic effects.

Williams Love O'Leary & Powers, P.C. is no longer accepting new diet pill cases for injuries from Pondimin or Redux involving claims of heart valve disease or PPH. If you believe that you were injured by Fen-Phen, Pondimin, or Redux, please call Thelma Murphy, the firm’s diet pill legal assistant, for names of experienced diet pill lawyers who are still accepting PPH cases. 1-800-824-1595.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION –FEN-PHEN

Fen-Phen consists of fenfluramine and phentermine, each manufactured by separate companies. American Home Products (AHP), now known as Wyeth, manufactured Pondimin, the brand name for fenfluramine. AHP also marketed Redux (dexfenfluramine), a diet drug chemically similar to Pondimin.

The drug companies made enormous profits from sales of Fen-Phen, even though their combined use was neither approved by the FDA nor tested for long-term safety and effectiveness. In September 1997, AHP pulled Pondimin and Redux from the market after the FDA learned of reports of hundreds of cases of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, a deadly disease, and many more reports of heart valve disorders in patients who took Pondimin (Fen-Phen) or Redux.

Cases filed in federal court have been consolidated in Multi-District Litigation (MDL), now under the supervision of Judge Bartle in Philadelphia. Judge Bartle has also approved a multi-billion dollar global class action settlement between American Home Products and class members who did not "opt-out" of the settlement to pursue individual lawsuits. The class action settlement pays benefits to people suffering from heart valve damage, for the most part. WLO&P is no longer representing heart valve plaintiffs, although other attorneys are doing so.

This class action settlement does not apply to people who have Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) as a result of taking Fen-Phen. WLO&P has represented people with PPH, and sued the manufacturer, usually in state court. WLO&P is no longer accepting new PPH plaintiffs, although other attorneys are doing so.

Michael Williams, senior partner, still serves on the national discovery committees for plaintiffs in the Diet Drug MDL. Williams and partners Linda Love and Leslie O'Leary have been extensively involved in case evaluation, trial preparation, as well as depositions of drug company officials and scientific experts. Williams Love O'Leary & Powers, P.C. has filed Fen-Phen cases in state and federal courts in Oregon and Pennsylvania, has been co-counsel on cases filed in Washington, Hawaii, Montana, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Rhode Island, and Alabama, and has successfully resolved cases for PPH clients who lived in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Rhode Island, Ohio, Utah, Louisiana, and New Jersey.