Meridia Recall

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a recall of the weight loss drug Meridia. Abbott Laboratories, the pharmaceutical company which manufactures the drug, has voluntarily agreed to initiate the recall, which was prompted by clinical trial data demonstrating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Meridia was recently recalled in Europe after data from the SCOUT (Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial) report was published. This report indicated that consumption of Meridia resulted in a 16% increase in the risk of:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Need to be resuscitated once the heart stopped
• Death

The study also noted that Meridia provided patients with only a minimal difference in weight loss compared with a group taking a placebo.

According to Dr. John Jenkins, the FDA Director of the Office of New Drugs, "Meridia's continued availability is not justified when you compare the very modest weight loss that people achieve on this drug compared to their risk of heart attack or stroke."

The FDA has advised doctors to stop prescribing Meridia to patients at once. Individuals currently taking the defective drug should discontinue use immediately and contact their physician about alternative weight loss medications and programs.

Growing Evidence against the Safety of Meridia

Meridia was approved by the FDA in November 1997 for the treatment of obesity. It is a centrally-acting serotonin-norepinepherine reuptake inhibitor which functioned as an appetite suppressant and helped achieve small levels of weight loss in overweight people.

In 2002, the non-profit organization Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban Meridia from the market due to reports of heart failure, renal failure, and sudden death. However, the FDA denied this initial petition.

By 2008, there was growing evidence that Meridia might be more dangerous than the condition it was intended to treat. In June 2009, the FDA approved safety-related labeling restrictions for Meridia to provide updated information on drug interactions that increase the risk of serotonin-related adverse events.

After the SCOUT report was published indicating a link between the consumption of Meridia and an increased risk of dangerous heart conditions, Public Citizen once again petitioned the FDA to recall the defective drug. Instead, the FDA initiated an extensive safety review of the drug which ultimately led to its removal from the market.

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury due to consumption of Meridia, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages through a pharmaceutical injury lawsuit. Please contact an experienced defective drug attorney in your area to schedule your initial consultation.