Meridia Injury Lawyers
The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC is reviewing and closely monitoring Meridia, a drug used as a short-term supplement to diet and exercise for the treatment of obesity, following reports that the drug may cause adverse cardiovascular effects. Manufactured by global health care company Abbott Laboratories, Inc., Meridia has been associated with the increased risk of heart attack and stroke in at-risk patients.
Meridia Side Effects
Evidence suggests that Meridia may contribute to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke and other adverse side effects, specifically among those having a history of heart disease and high blood pressure. Reported side effects associated with the use of Meridia include:
- Abdominal pain
- Back pain
- Bronchitis
- Cramps
- Dizziness
- Dry Mouth
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- CVA (ischemic stroke)
- Joint Pain
- Loss of Strength
- Nausea
- Seizures
- Myocardial Infarction (heart attack)
- Seizures
- Shortness of breath
If you have experienced a heart attack, stroke or any of the side effects listed above, call an experienced Meridia injury lawyers at The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC. In addition to Meridia injury side effects, our Meridia injury attorneys will be glad to discuss any potential case in any of our practice areas - there's no obligation and the initial consultation is free. Give us a call at one of the numbers listed at the top of this page if you've been injured.
Meridia History and Potential Dangers
Meridia was approved by the FDA in 1997 for sale in the United States. It was marketed and sold by Attob Laboratories until they voluntarily withdrew it in 2010.
The drug was also marketed and sold in Europe. Generically, it was known as Sibutramine and sold as Reductil®, Reduxade® and Zelium®. How does it work? Meridia is a neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor that regulates appetite by affecting chemicals in the brain.
The FDA issued a warning on January 21, 2010, linking Meridia to cardiovascular complications and indicating that the drug may be too dangerous for people already having high blood pressure or a history of other heart problems. The FDA recommends that Meridia should not be taken by people with:
- History of heart attack or coronary artery disease
- History of stroke or transient ischemic attack, aka, TIA or mini-stroke)
- History of an irregular heartbeat
- History of heart failure
- History of peripheral artery disease
If you have experienced a heart attack, stroke or any of the side effects listed above, call an experienced Meridia injury lawyers at The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC. In addition to Meridia injury side effects, our Meridia injury attorneys will be glad to discuss any potential case in any of our practice areas - there's no obligation and the initial consultation is free. Give us a call at one of the numbers listed at the top of this page if you've been injured.
Meridia History and Potential Dangers
Meridia was approved by the FDA in 1997 for sale in the United States. It was marketed and sold by Attob Laboratories until they voluntarily withdrew it in 2010.
The drug was also marketed and sold in Europe. Generically, it was known as Sibutramine and sold as Reductil®, Reduxade® and Zelium®. How does it work? Meridia is a neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor that regulates appetite by affecting chemicals in the brain.
The FDA issued a warning on January 21, 2010, linking Meridia to cardiovascular complications and indicating that the drug may be too dangerous for people already having high blood pressure or a history of other heart problems. The FDA recommends that Meridia should not be taken by people with:
- History of heart attack or coronary artery disease
- History of stroke or transient ischemic attack, aka, TIA or mini-stroke)
- History of an irregular heartbeat
- History of heart failure
- History of peripheral artery disease
Although FDA-approved Meridia in 1997 for certain groups of patients at risk for obesity, there have been calls to ban the drug in the Unites States since 2002 after the FDA issued a warning letter to Abbott Laboratories following its failure to report the death of a Meridia user. The FDA also disclosed that Abbott inaccurately reported serious reactions among users of three other Abbott medications. The FDA warning followed a study of 5,000 patients that showed a significant amount of those taking Meridia developed heart problems when compared with the same amount of patients taking a placebo. This is what's called a statistically significant association between the drug and those injuries.
The FDA warning was issued on the very same day that the European Medicines Agency pulled Meridia and its generic equivalents from the European market - completely. In response to the European withdrawal of Meridia, Dr. June Raine of The U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency commented,"Evidence suggests that there is an increased risk of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes with this medicine that outweigh the benefits of weight loss, which is modest and may not be sustained in the long term after stopping treatment." (emphasis added).
The FDA has not yet required Abbott to pull the drug from the U.S. market, but Abbott says that they've agreed to add a stronger warning clearly stating that Meridia should not be used in patients with a history of cardiovascular disease. The agency will also be holding a public advisory committee meeting to evaluate whether further regulatory action is needed after reviewing a full report of a study called Scout. Scout tested Meridia compared with a placebo in about 10,000 patients, and the FDA expects Abbott to submit the complete results in March 2010.
Contact Alabama Meridia Injury Attorneys
If you suffered a heart attack or stroke while taking Meridia, you may have a claim against Abbott Laboratories. Call our Birmingham, Alabama offices today for a free consultation. Please contact us in Birmingham at (205) 212-9988 or toll free at 1 - (800) 200-3604 today for a free consultation. Do not wait another day and risk losing your claim.
The attorneys at The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC are now filing Meridia lawsuits for clients and are evaluating Meridia claims nationwide. Due to your injury, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for your pain and suffering through a Meridia lawsuit. The DiLorenzo Law Firm, LLC's experienced injury lawyers have extensive experience with product liability claims, specifically those involving defective and dangerous drugs.
Alabama has a two year statute of limitations on filing certain product liability and personal injury claims. It takes time to acquire medical records and draft pleadings, so please do not delay in contacting us if you have any concern that your hip replacement device may be subject to this recall. |
