PPH NEWS is an education-based resource site that provides information on the health issues surrounding Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH), including what it is, the symptoms, diagnoses, and treatment options.
This website also provides resource to learn more about your legal rights and remedies if you or someone you know has developed PPH due to the use of diet drugs such as Fen Phen.

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PPH settlement

A PPH settlement can provide compensation to individuals who have been injured as a result of taking certain appetite suppressants. Drugs like fenfluramine (Pondimin), phentermine and dexfenfluramine (Redux) were first introduced on the United States market in the 1970s. These drugs had been widely prescribed in hospitals and weight loss centers across the nation. Fen-Phen, a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine, was prescribed to six million people alone.

Prompted by medical case studies, clinical trials, and pressure from the FDA, fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine were pulled off the market for good in 1997. Prior to this major recall, a Mayo Clinic report concluded that up to thirty percent of all PPH patients had taken one of these dangerous medications. PPH (Primary Pulmonary Hypertension) is a rare and potentially fatal condition that increases the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. This artery is responsible for carrying blood from the heart to the lungs.

Following the recall of these dangerous drugs, the FDA discovered that the manufacturer of these products, American Home Products Corporation, had miscoded PPH reports and failed to perform medical monitoring as required by law. As a result of this negligence and the many patients who suffered serious injury from these drugs, lawsuits were filed across the United States against this negligent drug company.

Individual and class action lawsuits were filed in both federal and state courts following the recall of these once-popular weight management medications. PPH lawsuits sought compensation for monetary damages, medical testing, and pain and suffering. Because there were so many lawsuits filed, the courts sent all federal PPH lawsuits to the U.S. District Court for negotiations regarding a nationwide PPH settlement in December 1997. Through extensive PPH litigation, a preliminary PPH settlement was determined in November 1999. In May 2000 the PPH settlement was sent to a court hearing to determine whether the PPH settlement was legally reasonable and just.

The PPH settlement was approved in federal court, and the AHP Settlement Trust went into effect in September 2000. The PPH settlement ruling was appealed and reaffirmed the following year. This major PPH settlement awarded monetary compensation to those who had taken these appetite suppressants for more than two months. The PPH settlement provisions required that a claimant receive an echocardiogram by a registered medical professional in order to qualify for compensation. There may also be additional requirements necessary in order to receive compensation through the PPH settlement.

The PPH settlement provides compensatory awards to those that have been injured as a result of taking Fen-Phen or related appetite medications. There are certain restrictions and time restraints regarding compensation through the PPH settlement. If you or a loved one has been injured by taking one of these harmful medications, you may wish to contact an attorney to determine your eligibility for compensation through the PPH settlement. Please contact us to speak with a qualified and experienced attorney.

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