Meridia (generic: sibutramine) is a weight-loss drug that affects the chemicals in the brain that control weight maintenance. This drug used along with diet and exercise to treat obesity that may be related to diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Meridia was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997 for use by patients who were classified as obese.
Ironically, sibutramine-containing products such as Meridia were found to increase blood pressure and heart rate, as well as heighten the risk of heart attack and stroke. As a result of these dangerous and life threatening side effects, the FDA suggested the removal of all products containing sibutramine from the market in 2010.
Sibutramine Product Recall
Sibutramine was originally developed by Knoll Pharmaceuticals and later marketed by Abbott Laboratories. It was sold under a variety of brand names including Meridia, Reductil and Sibutrex. In October 2010, the FDA asked Abbott Laboratories to remove Meridia from the United States market. After that, the FDA issued warnings advising consumers to avoid all sibutramine-containing products. The FDA based this request on data from the Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes trial, which showed that the use of sibutramine-containing products increased the risk of adverse cardiovascular events by 16 percent. Cardiovascular events include:
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Resuscitation after cardiac arrest
- Cardiovascular death
The FDA only recalls a drug when its risks clearly outweigh the benefits. In the case of sibutramine, patients were experiencing minimal weight loss and risking serious heart injury – a dangerous combination that the FDA couldn’t ignore.
The following sibutramine-containing products have been proven to increase the likelihood of heart-related issues and should be avoided:
- Acai Berry Soft Gel ABC
- Advanced Slim 5
- A-Slim 100% Natural Slimming Capsule
- Botanical Slimming
- DaiDaiHuaJiaoNang (also contains phenolphthalein, a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent not approved in the U.S.)
- Dream Body Slimming Capsule
- Fruit Plant Lossing Fat Capsule
- Health Slimming Coffee
- Ja Dera 100% Natural Weight Loss Supplement
- Leisure 18 Slimming Coffee
- Lishou
- Lose Weight Coffee
- Magic Slim Tea
- Magic Slim Weight Reduction Capsule
- P57 Hoodia
- Pai You Guo Slim Tea (also contains phenolphthalein, a solution used in chemical experiments and a suspected cancer-causing agent not approved in the U.S.)
- PhentraBurn Slimming Capsules
- Sheng Yuan Fang
- Slender Slim 11
- Tengda
Contact Us
If you or someone you love took a product containing sibutramine and suffered a cardiovascular event such as heart attack or stroke, you have legal rights. Contact our office today to learn more about the compensation you deserve for your physical, financial and emotional suffering. The experienced attorneys of The Oshman Firm, LLP are dedicated to obtaining justice on your behalf.