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Fen-Phen Controversy
Tuesday
June 5, 2001
It was the hottest diet craze of the nineties. Between 1994 and 1997 millions of Americans took the drug combination fen-phen hoping to get thin. However, something went terribly wrong. Not only did Mary Linnen, Shirley Spector, Susan Cruxon and nearly 100 others loose weight, they lost their lives.
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Nearly
three years later author Alicia Mundy claims the drug
company knew fen-phen was dangerous. She says, “This may
be one of the biggest pharmaceutical disasters in modern
day medicine.”
In "Dispensing with the Truth" Mundy accuses drug maker
Wyeth-Ayerst of covering up evidence that one of the drugs
could cause a deadly lung disease and heart valve damage.
Mundy says, “They made a very calculated decision. Their
advertising and marketing people said we can't put a strong
warning label on this drug or we'll lose hundred of millions
of dollars in sales.”
 Mundy
also blames the FDA for failing to warn Americans about
the drugs dangers. “Initially the FDA tried to force the
company to put a much stronger warning label on the drugs.
But the FDA backed down under the influence of the company’s
lawyers and lobbyists.”
In a statement to “Extra” the FDA says, “As soon as the
issue of heart valve damage reached the FDA, products
were removed from the market."
A spokesman for Wyeth-Ayerst says Mundy's book is not
balanced and "does not portray an accurate look at the
company, its actions or its motivations."
The dangerous half of fen-phen was taken off the market
in 1997 but the damage had been done. Hundreds died of
a fatal lung disease and hundreds of thousands developed
heart valve problems.
Scott Rubin says fen-phen ruined his life. Now on permanent
disability and a potpourri of prescription drugs, he blames
greed for his troubles.
“I took a drug I had no business taking,” Rubin tells
“Extra” “I took a drug that no one should have taken period.”
Wyeth-Ayerst recently settled a class action lawsuit for
$3.75 billion and thousands more plan to sue the drug
maker.
If you took fen-phen and you're worried about your health,
“Extra” recommends that you consider talking to your doctor
about getting an echo-cardiogram to check for any potential
problems.
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