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ADVERSTISEMENT
:: Meridia Side Effects Lawsuit News ::At the end of March, the first lawsuits on behalf of Meridia patients were filed naming the manufacturer of Meridia, Abbott Laboratories. The Meridia lawsuit alleges that Abbott knew or should have known the risk of death and serious side effects Meridia can cause and that Abbott failed to provide adequate warnings to physician, the medical community, and patients regarding the weight loss drug. In 1996, an FDA advisory committee concluded that while Meridia works it should not be approved because side effects of elevated blood pressure the diet drug causes amongst the general population. It was noted that Meridia might still gain approval according to the panel because the company may be able to work with the FDA to resolve some of the concerns. One year later, in September 1997, the FDA decided to approve Meridia despite the advisory committee’s vote 5-4 that the drug’s benefits does not outweigh the side effects risks. In the U.S. there is a large market of dieting consumers that anxiously
awaited the new weight loss solution when Meridia came along, despite
the serious and deadly side effects the previously banned diet drug,
fen phen, The difference in reported adverse Meridia side effects verses the real number of Meridia side effects is estimated to be tenfold higher. The FDA is currently reviewing the safety implications that have been associated with Meridia in response to Public Citizen’s petition. Public Citizen has petitioned for the removal of four other FDA approved drugs since 1996 and three of the drugs ended up being banned and one severely restricted. The end of March introduced the first lawsuits against Abbott on behalf of Meridia patients. If you would like to speak to an expert Meridia Lawsuit Attorney regarding Meridia side effects and your legal rights, please contact us. |
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caused.
In 2000, 95% of dieters failed to lose weight despite spending $1.8
billion in diet pills. This did not influence the sales of Meridia,
which is now sold in 70 countries and has been used by 8.5 million
people worldwide according to Abbott Laboratories. The 29 U.S. Meridia
deaths led consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen, to file a petition
to the FDA for the immediate ban of Meridia. The FDA is now considering
Public Citizen’s petition to determine if the Meridia side
effects are acceptable or if the safety issues outweigh the benefits.Important Meridia Dates:
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Recent News -May 21, 2002: Public Citizen
Urges Criminal Charges Against Meridia Manufacturer Abbott Laboratories |
September 1996- FDA advisory committee votes 5-4 concluding that adverse Meridia side effects outweigh the benefits of the weight loss pill.
September 1997- Popular weight loss diet drugs fen phen is banned from the market due to side effects of numerous PPH and heart valve problems that led to many fatalities and severe health complications.
- FDA approves use of Meridia (sibutramine) despite FDA’s continued concern for potential serious Meridia side effects. Meridia’s marketing strategy begins as a preemptive strike to critics by saying that the drugs are very different from fen phen.
September 1998- After just one year on the market, Meridia prescriptions are written for nearly 2 million individuals.
January 2001- One of the FDA’s targets for demanding changes are made in their advertising and promotional materials was Abbott Laboratories, maker of Meridia. The FDA feels many drug companies make promises suggesting their product can be more effective than evidence suggests.
March 2002- Italy takes sibutramine off the shelves, launching a Europe-wide review of the diet pill Meridia. There were 50 reports of health related problems due to the use of Meridia made.
- Two Meridia patients died in Britain and reports of over 200 others suffer adverse side effects.
- France had received 99 reports of sibutramine side effects, with ten of them considered very serious.
- Canada investigates Meridia after worldwide reports of deaths due to the diet drug surface.
March 19, 2002- Public Citizen submits a petition to the FDA for the immediate ban of the diet drug Meridia. So far, Public Citizen has petitioned for the removal of four other FDA approved drugs since 1996 and three of the drugs ended up being banned and one severely restricted. Public Citizen finds the Meridia side effects to be just as dangerous to individuals.
March 20, 2002- Abbott Laboratories responds to Public Citizen’s statements that Meridia side effects are a danger to patients saying that the petition was based on incorrect conclusions.
- Meridia is now sold in 70 countries and has been used by 8.5 million people worldwide.
- There have been 29 U.S. Meridia deaths.
