If you or a loved one has been prescribed and used Merida and have suffered a heart attack or stroke, you may be entitled to compensation. Pick up the phone and call Phillips Law Group today!
The weight loss market boomed over the past decade as reports of climbing obesity rates in the United States began to disseminate. Obesity is a dangerous condition that can cause premature death and a host of health problems in the meantime, which prompted companies to work towards formulating products designed to fight this condition. One such product is known as Meridia.
Meridia is manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, one of the true giants of the pharmaceutical industry. Unfortunately, reports of Meridia side effects eventually began to surface, prompting the need for help from Meridia side effects lawyers for many people. Below youll find information regarding how the history of Meridia, how it works, the Meridia side effects that have been reported, the governments response and finally how you should proceed if you or someone you love has been harmed by Meridia side effects.
Meridia A Brief History and Overview
Meridia was originally approved for use in the United States by the FDA in November of 1997. It was released at an opportune time, as the weight loss market generates billions of dollars in revenue every year. Meridia was seen initially as a success, and its estimated that as many as 8 million people have used it around the world since its inception.
Meridia is administered via prescription, and it works by altering the brains chemistry so that the person using Meridia experiences feelings of satiety even though he or she has eaten less than usual. Specifically, the active ingredients in Meridia alter the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine, two chemicals that help regulate that feeling of satiety. Meridia has been prescribed only to those patients who are either clinically obese meaning they have a BMI of more than 30 and those who are overweight but also have other health problems such as diabetes. Generally, Meridia will not be prescribed to someone whose BMI is lower than 27.
Studies that were done prior to its approval showed that people who used Meridia lost 10 more pounds in a year than those who were given a placebo, but that level of effectiveness has since been questioned. However, reports of Meridia side effects that were only supported by the publication of another study combined to move authorities to action.
Meridia Side Effects What Went Wrong
Eventually, earlier in this decade, reports of Meridia side effects began to surface. These side effects were seen as especially dangerous for those who were using Meridia because of their obesity, and these Meridia side effects included:
- Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
- Heart attacks
- Heart valve damage
- Cardiac valve dysfunction
- Death
Overall, there were reports of approximately 30 deaths by those who had used Meridia in the United States and hundreds of reported cases involving any of the other Meridia side effects listed above.
Meridia Side Effects Government Responses
In response to these reports of Meridia side effects, governments in different parts of the world got involved. In Italy, the sale of Meridia was banned for a time after reports of two deaths by Italians who suffered heart attacks after using the drug. In the United States, the FDA ultimately fixed its scrutiny on Meridia side effects in response to the publication of a massive study whose preliminary results were not positive.
In that study, which was done in cooperation between Abbott Laboratories and several different European administrative bodies, it was shown that those who used Meridia had a higher likelihood of developing Meridia side effects than those who were given a placebo. The study followed the progress of 10,000 people who were given the drug over a period of several years, and these results only recently became available.
The FDA received word of the studys results and has released an Early Meridia Communication. This communication basically states that the agency is taking a closer look at the risks versus the benefits of having Meridia on the market, and the FDA also announced that its review would be expedited in nature given the obvious dangers involved with some who have or are currently using the drug.
Meridia Lawyers for Lawsuits
If you or someone you love has suffered from the fallout associated with Meridia side effects, you need to take action as soon as possible. You should start by contacting the Meridia side effects lawyers at the law firm of Phillips Law Group. The defective drugs lawyers at the firm have decades of collective experience in helping those harmed by defective drugs seek and obtain justifiable compensation for the damages they’ve suffered from the manufacturers responsible for releasing these dangerous drugs onto the marketplace. Contact the firm today to obtain the answers you need regarding how you should proceed.
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