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Oregon State Jury Awards $29.1 Million In Two Fen-Phen Lawsuits
COQUILLE, Ore. An Oregon state court jury yesterday returned a $29.1 million verdict against American Home Products Corp. in two Fen-Phen diet drug lawsuits (Juanita Baston v. American Home Products Corp., et al., No. 99-0306, Richard Wirt v. American Home Products Corp., No. 99-0307, Ore. Cir., Coos Co.). These cases are reported to be mild aortic heart valve leaks. Under the class settlement individuals with these injuries would likely have only received $6,000 plus a refund of their prescription costs.
The trial took two weeks and a majority of the 29.1 million dollar verdict was for punitive damages. The jury voted to punish American Home Products Corporation the manufacturer of Pondimin one of the ingredients in the Fen-Phen diet fad. The fen-phen diet fad that ended in September of 1997 when Pondimin and Redux were taken off the market as a result of reports of heart valve damage and pulmonary hypertension associated with the use of these diet drugs. Evidence was presented to the jury that American Home Products Corporation knew of the risk of injury while selling the drugs and did not warn the doctors or the public.
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What Are These Diet Drugs? :
The combination use of Fenfluramine and phentermine and with dexfenfluramine is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but was not illegal when these drugs were on the market. Doctors are generally permitted to make "off-label" or non-approved uses of drugs if the drugs are approved for any use.
Symptoms Of Injury From Fen-Phen, Redux Or Pondimin Use:
Usually the first symptom of injury from these diet drugs is shortness of breath. Medically shortness of breath is called dyspnea
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