PPH Legal Blog

Arena Pharmaceuticals, a small San Diego based company with nothing currently on the market, has announced that they may have a drug almost identical to fen-phen on the market by 2010.

The drug, which is nearing the end of its first year of trials and is as of yet unnamed, is identical to fen-phen in that it promises to block hunger signals from the brain which curbs appetite. The major difference between the two is that the new drug promises not to have the same deadly side effects as the original fen-phen such as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).

It is seen as risky to compare a new drug to fen-phen due to the $21.1 billion given out in settlements since 1997. The FDA at one point thought that 30% of people that had taken fen-phen had developed PPH and other heart problems.

The possibility of a drug that can mimic the weight-loss effects of fen-phen without the side effects has prompted an Ohio-based company to start developing their own drug. The biggest test of Arena’s drug will come in March when results from the first year of trials are released. In theory, health effects should start popping up if the patients have been on the drug for a year.

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with PPH, contact the PPH lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to schedule a free initial consultation and to discuss any legal options available to you.