PPH and Fen Phen: Not Too Late to Join a Lawsuit

Trenton, NJBecause the [Fen Phen] diet craze occurred over 10 years ago, many people who have recently been diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (known as PPH) may believe the statute of limitations has run out on filing a lawsuit. However, this is not the case. People are still being diagnosed with PPH and they are still able to join a lawsuit against the maker of Fen Phen.

Less than a year ago, in December 2006, a lawsuit was filed against Wyeth (known as American Home Products when fen-phen was sold) alleging the drug combination caused five women to develop PPH. The suit alleges Wyeth misled consumers about the increased risk of PPH for patients who took Fen Phen. One of the plaintiffs took Fen Phen 10 years ago and required a dual-lung transplant to treat her PPH.

Lawsuits against Wyeth alleged the company knew about the risk of PPH well before withdrawing it from the market. The risk was first made public in August of 1996 when the New England Journal of Medicine found that using Fen Phen for three months or more resulted in a 23-fold increase in PPH. The study showed that in the general population, 1 in 500,000 people develop PPH but of Fen Phen users 1 in 20,000 developed PPH.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning about Fen Phen after a 1997 Mayo Clinic study linked it to heart valve problems. In September 1997, Fen Phen was finally pulled from the market.

There are a couple of reasons why people are only being diagnosed now for a disease caused by drugs they took over 10 years ago. First, the symptoms of PPH may not appear until a long time after the onset of the disease. Second, diagnosing PPH can be incredibly difficult. Symptoms of PPH include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain and swelling in the legs, all of which can be symptoms of other ailments. Frequently, the first symptoms to appear are shortness of breath and chest pain, which are often misdiagnosed as anxiety. As PPH progresses, patients may develop bluish skin and increased chest pain. PPH is a potentially fatal disease with no known cure.

The consequences of taking Fen Phen have been devastating for many people. Some died shortly after taking it, while others have seen their PPH slowly take over their life, making even seemingly simple tasks incredibly difficult, if not impossible.

Billions of dollars have been paid out in order to settle lawsuits related to Fen Phen. However there are still lawsuits against Wyeth that have not been settled. People are still being diagnosed with PPH, over a decade after they took the diet drug.

If you or someone you know took Fen Phen and have experienced symptoms of PPH, contact a medical professional for diagnosis.