Meridia Diet Pill

Meridia diet pill has now been associated with 29 deaths, including 19 due to adverse cardiovascular effects. The diet pill was first approved in 1997, one year after the FDA advisory committee voted 5-4 that the benefits of Meridia diet pill did not outweigh the risks. Meridia diet pill had received a review from an FDA medical officer concluding that a non-approval was recommended due to the significant increase in blood pressure and heart rate in many people.

Until this March, Meridia diet pill appeared to be a total success to Abbott Laboratories, the drug’s maker. Meridia diet pill is found in 70 countries and has been used by 8.5 million people worldwide. But the sales success of Meridia diet pill has turned into a safety question. After two cardiovascular deaths occurred in Italy, the use of Meridia was suspended so that a safety review could be performed. This Meridia suspension in Italy was the first country movement to investigate the safety of the diet pill that led to a Europe-wide review of the drug.

France and Great Britain have had a total of 103 serious Meridia side effects reported, including the deaths of two people in Great Britain. The worldwide reports of potentially life threatening adverse effects has prompted the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to file a petition to the FDA for the immediate ban of Meridia diet pill. Abbott Laboratories continues to dispute Public Citizen’s petition, claiming the diet pill Meridia, despite any risk associated to the drug, is an overall aid to the risk that any obese person has. To view Abbott’s press release regarding the Public Citizen petition, click here.

Studies performed on Meridia diet pill show that there is an average 6.5 lbs lost in a year’s time, and during the second year the majority of people regain the weight and gain the entire weight back if stopping drug use. While Abbott claims that any weight loss Meridia diet pill can provide an obese patient would be expected to decrease the risk of heart disease and death, Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen claims, “There is no evidence that this drug has prolonged the life of a single patient, or reduced the risks of strokes or heart attacks tied to obesity,” (WebMD, 3-22-02).

Meridia Adverse Side Effects
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 diet pill n 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 diet pill patients.