In the 1990's there was an epidemic from the manufactures of diet pills. So many became available on the market that you wondered who well the FDA tested them. There have been so many different types of diet pills that have been sold over the years from Redux, Pondimin, Fen Phen, Adipex, Meridia, Sennomoto-kono, Slim 10 and Xenical.
Dexfenfluramine is an appetite suppressant similar to fenfluramine which, combined with the diet drug phentermine, became the most popular anti-obesity treatment known as Fen Phen. In 1996 it was declared that the total number of prescriptions for dexfenfluramine or fenfluramine and phentermine in the United States exceeded 18 million. On July 8, 1997, 24 cases of valvular heart disease in women who had been treated with fenfluramine and phentermine were publicly reported. (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1997 Nov 14:46 (45): 1061-6).
I interviewed a woman one Saturday morning at 9:00 am at a breakfast/coffee shop in downtown Morgan Hill. The individual that I choose to interview was a co-worker of my best friend. I asked her quite a few questions, like; I hear that you've taken diet pills in the past? Yes, I have taken several different types. (Smith) Can you tell me which ones you've taken? I've taken Fen Phen, Redux, Pondemin, Meridia, Xenical and Adipex. (Smith).
Redux and Pondimin were indicated for the treatment of obesity as part of a broader weight management program, including diet and exercise. Obesity left untreated, can lead to a host of life threatening health complications, like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
On September 15, 1997, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories voluntarily withdrew from the market two prescription drugs for the treatment of obesity, Redux and Pondimin. This step was taken after the FDA presented to Wyeth new and preliminary information about possible heart valve abnormalities in patients using these products.