June 27, 2005, St. Louis, Missouri – Brown & Crouppen Pursuing Claims of Heart, Lung Diseases Caused by Fen-Phen

Brown & Crouppen’s team of professional lawyers is pursuing claims on behalf of individuals who have suffered harmful side effects of Fen-Phen – named for a combination of the drugs fenfluramine and an appetite suppressant called phentermine.

Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories, of Madison, New Jersey, manufactured the drugs fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine under the names Pondimin and Redux. The combination of Pondimin and Redux with phentermine resulted in serious health problems, and in 1997 the Food and Drug Administration ordered the withdrawal of the two drugs from the marketplace.

Years after the recall, there has been increasing evidence that the drug combination caused serious and sometimes fatal complications, including Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) – a rare, incurable and potentially life-threatening condition. PPH is a deadly lung disorder that can lead to heart failure. Doctors believe PPH is on the rise in the US because certain diet drugs that were used in the 1990's have been associated with the disease, including Fen-Phen.

PPH symptoms mimic those experienced by overweight people, and is often misdiagnosed, or overlooked, for that reason. The condition causes high blood pressure in the lungs, and that leads to feelings of breathlessness with minimal exertion, fatigue, dizzy spells, fainting and chest pain.

In its early stages, the symptoms of PPH can be very subtle, and is only diagnosed after several possible causes are excluded. It can take up to three years from the time the earliest symptoms appear to the time that an accurate diagnosis is made.  Although Fen-Phen was pulled off the market in 1997, thousands are now suffering from the long-term health risks of the drugs, including PPH.

Individuals, who have been diagnosed with PPH may still be eligible for Fen-Phen settlements and should not hesitate to contact a qualified and experienced attorney.

Please consult your physician before discontinuing any medication.

About Brown & Crouppen
Brown & Crouppen has been building a reputation for success with personal injury clients for over 25 years. Today, the firm is one of mid-America’s largest personal injury law firms with more than 70 legal professionals and five offices throughout Missouri and Illinois. A major emphasis for Brown & Crouppen is dangerous drug litigation involving manufacturers and suppliers of unsafe drugs and products

For additional information, please visit www.brownandcrouppen.com or contact:

Brown & Crouppen, Attorneys at Law
Main Office
720 Olive Street
Suite 1800
St. Louis, MO 63101
DLawrence@BrownandCrouppen.com

Phone Toll Free: 866-991-4700