The AP recently reported, “A consumer advocacy group is petitioning the government to ban the weight loss pill Meridia [sibutramine] because a recent study suggests it increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.” In a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the consumer watch-dog–Public Citizen–calls on the agency “to pull Abbott Laboratories’ drug from the US market,” citing results from “a 10,000-patient study” that “showed a slightly higher risk of heart-related problems in patients taking Meridia…compared with a dummy pill.”
The FDA, however, “said it was ‘making no conclusions about the preliminary findings’ when they were released last month.” The agency “previously rejected a 2002 petition from Public Citizen to withdraw Meridia,” saying “it wanted to wait for the findings of the 10,000-patient study.”
We will soon see how the FDA responds to the study. In the meantime, please be very careful when taking any medication. You should always get competent, expert medical advice for ingesting any medication. Be sure, too, that your doctor fully explains all risks associated with certain medications so that you can make a wise decision about what’s best for you and your body.
About the author:
Mr. Zambri is Past-President of the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC and has been rated by Washingtonian magazine as a “Big Gun” and among the “top 1%” of all lawyers in the Washington metropolitan area. The magazine also describes him as “one of Washington’s best–most honest and effective lawyers” who specializes in personal injury matters, including medical malpractice actions stemming from defective or dangerous medications. He has also been named a “DC Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine (March/April 2009)–a national publication that honors the top lawyers in America. If you need a patient advocate, we recommend that you read an article about medical malpractice claims authored by senior partner Salvatore Zambri.
Mr. Zambri is regularly asked to present seminars to lawyers and doctors, as well as both medical and law students concerning medication errors, medical malpractice litigation, and safety improvements.
If you want more information about your legal rights, please email Mr. Zambri at [email protected] or call him at 202-822-1899.