News Update

COURT ORDER SIGNED (September 30, 2000)

On August 28th the U.S. District Court judge in the DIET DRUGS (PHENTERMINE, FENFLURAMINE, DEXFENFLURAMINE) PRODUCTS LIABILITY LITIGATION signed a court order which approved a National settlement. "The court hereby approves the settlement as set forth in the Nationwide Class Action Settlement Agreement with American Home Products Corporation." See Pretrial Order No. 1415

Presuming no appeals, the court will start paying claims for Heart Valve Disease.

CALIFORNIA STATE FEN-PHEN CASES COORDINATED BEFORE JUDGE PRATT IN THE LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT (April 6, 1999)

Fen-Phen cases filed in California will be coordinated before one judge in Southern California. The court will post general orders, pleadings on a California web site. The court's Fen-Phen Web site is http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/dietdrug/.

Status conferences will be held approximately every six weeks, the next status conference is scheduled for May 1999. Judge Pratt intends to have cases set for trial as early as possible, and it is hopeful that all cases can be resolved in 18 months.

Each person filing a complaint must file a fact sheet and signed medical authorizations which will allow the defendants to obtain medical records. The plaintiffs will be required to provide information about their entire medical history. If the plaintiff claims memory loss or emotional injuries they will be required to provide information about psychiatric records. The plaintiff must provide a fact sheet to the defendants. Plaintiff is allowed to object if they believe the records should not be produced. The court will decide.

It has been difficult to identify the phentermine manufacturers. Some plaintiffs received drugs from medical providers or diet centers with no identifying information. Pharmacies dispensed a generic brand other than the one prescribed. Plaintiffs counsel has met with phentermine defense attorneys to discuss this problem, and it appears that in some cases it may be impossible to ascertain with certainty the phentermine taken by a plaintiff.

THE 60 MINUTES SHOW OF FEBRUARY 10, 1999 (February 12, 1999)

This broadcast gave national attention to the many individuals adversley affected by the diet drugs-Fen/Phen (fenfluramine and phentermine) and Redux®. Life threatening cases of primary pulmonary hypertension and reports of serious heart valvular diseases were included in this documentary.

Individuals who have taken the weight drugs need a test know as an echocardiogram (ECHO) to rule out the two disorders mentioned. Notably, primary pulmonary hypertension may appear even two years after taking the drugs.

NATIONWIDE LAWSUITS FILED (June 11, 1998)

More than 200 lawsuits filed in nearly 60 courts across the United States were consolidated in Federal District Court in Philadelphia last month. U. S. District Judge Louis Bechtle has been appointed to oversee all pretrial proceedings, will hear any options to grant the fen-phen case class-action status and have the power to approve prospective settlements.

California Fen-Phen Litigation Associates
2300 Bell Executive Lane
Sacramento, California 95825-4068

Tel: (916) 929-6000
Fax: (916) 929-5137
E-mail: fen-phen@fen-phen-associates.com