Meridia Weight Loss
Drug
What is Meridia weight
loss drug?
Meridia weight loss drug (sibutramine) is an oral prescription medication
that is used to manage obesity through weight loss and the maintenance
of weight loss. Meridia is the first orally administered serotonin
and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) that has been used for
the management of obesity.
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How does Meridia weight
loss drug work?
Sibutramine is supposed to aid weight loss by affecting appetite
control centers in the brain to reduce food intake by increasing
satiety.
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What are side effects
of Meridia weight loss drug?
Meridia weight loss drug is under FDA review in response to the
petition filed by consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to
immediately ban the sales of sibutramine. This action was prompted
by the 29 deaths and hundreds of serious Meridia weight loss drug
side effects that have been reported. The side
effects that Meridia weight loss drugs have been associated
to are serious and deadly. In Meridia's patient information it warns
patients about pulmonary hypertension (PPH), which is a rare and
sometimes fatal disease. PPH causes high blood pressure in the lungs
that leads to a feeling of constant breathlessness with minimal
exertion, fatigue, dizzy spells, fainting, and chest pain, and there
is no known cause of PPH.
Cardiac valve dysfunction, or heart valve disease
may also be a side effect of Meridia weight loss drug. Heart valve
disease causes the valves in the heart to allow blood flow backwards
through them. The most common side effects of Meridia weight loss
drug include, headache, dry mouth, anorexia, constipation, insomnia,
increase in blood pressure, increase in heart rate, mental impairments,
heart disease, stroke, seizures, and increased sweating.
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Why has a petition
been filed to the FDA to ban Meridia weight loss drug?
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen submitted a petition
to the FDA on March 19, 2002. The request comes after the 29
deaths and hundreds of serious Meridia
side effects that have been reported which have led Public Citizen
to find the risks of Meridia weight loss drug to outweigh the benefits.
The FDA first approved Meridia weight loss drug despite their advisory
board voting against it. Public Citizen also thinks that the FDA
must raise the standard for approval of weight loss drugs and require
drug makers to show an actual health benefit instead of relying
on short-term studies.
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Who is the Public Citizen?
Public Citizen is a national, nonprofit consumer advocacy organization
founded by Ralph Nader in 1971 to represent consumer interests in
Congress, the executive branch and the courts. So far, Public Citizen
has petitioned for the removal of four other FDA approved drugs
since 1996 and three of the drugs ended up being banned and one
severely restricted. Public Citizen finds the
side effects of Meridia weight loss drug to be just as dangerous
to individuals.
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What is the FDA's
response to Public Citizen's petition?
The FDA will now be considering Public Citizen's petition and determine
if the side
effects of Meridia weight loss drug are acceptable or if the
safety issues outweigh the benefits. There is a Europe wide investigation
on the safety of the weight loss drug Meridia, and most recently
and investigation in Canada has also been launched.
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Do I have any rights
if I have been injured taking Meridia weight loss drug?
Anyone who has taken Meridia weight loss drug and has suffered the
adverse
health effects associated to the weight loss drug please contact
a Meridia Lawyer.
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What potential claims
may I file?
Most cases involving a prescription drug, such as Meridia, that
have dangerous
side effects undisclosed will claim for negligence. Other claims
may include strict liability for a defective product or for failure
to warn, a breach of express warranty, or a breach of implied warranty
and unjust enrichment. If you would like to speak to an expert Meridia
lawyer regarding the weight loss drug,
contact us.
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Has anyone taken any
legal action against Abbott Laboratories for the injuries sustained
from Meridia weight loss drug?
At the end of March lawsuits on behalf of the Meridia patients were
filed alleging the defendants, Abbott
Laboratories, knew or should have known the risk of death and
serious
side effects of Meridia weight loss drug. The lawsuit also alleges
that Abbott failed to provide adequate warnings to physicians, the
medical community, and patients regarding Meridia weight loss drug.
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Where can I find a
Meridia lawyer?
Contact
us to speak with an expert Meridia lawyer. Our firm is dedicated
to ensuring each individual's rights and will seek the proper compensation
for any suffering and pain caused by Meridia weight loss drug.
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